Wispy Clouds And The Wasatch Mountains
After photographing two unexpected female Merlins two days ago, beautiful wispy clouds dancing in front of the Wasatch Mountains caught my attention.
After photographing two unexpected female Merlins two days ago, beautiful wispy clouds dancing in front of the Wasatch Mountains caught my attention.
Yesterday morning, I was surprised to find Great Blue Herons already at the nests of the rookery at Farmington Bay WMA. There were more than twenty herons.
Yesterday afternoon, I drove down to my local pond, hoping that I could see the snowy Wasatch Mountain peaks through the clouds. This was about the best view I got.
I look forward to the Winter Solstice each year because it marks when the days start getting longer. On this day, I celebrate Mother Nature and our Mother Earth.
As the Tundra Swans in Utah begin to make their long journeys to their breeding grounds, I wanted to do one more post about the collared Tundra Swans I've found.
On my last journey up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I stopped to take photos of a majestic Great Blue Heron enjoying some solitude on the ice.
Three days ago I found a collared Tundra Swan in a flock of swans at Bear River MBR. The blue collar caught my eye and I took photos of the swan.
Last week I had the opportunity to photograph a Great Blue Heron on the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, where the heron was small in the frame.
To my delight, I heard and saw hundreds of American Crows at Farmington Bay WMA on my visit there early yesterday morning. The crows were great company.
Late last month I mentioned that I hadn't yet gotten the Tundra Swan photos that I wanted to take. Yesterday at Bear River MBR I was delighted to remedy that situation.
Last evening when I walked outside to move my Jeep into the driveway I glanced towards the east to view the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains.
Earlier this week I photographed a light morph, adult male Rough-legged Hawk in the West Desert of Utah with three different backgrounds.
I love to photograph birds on the wing. It doesn't matter if my subject is as small as a hummingbird, as large as an eagle, as slow as a gliding pelican, or as fast as a stooping falcon as long as it is a bird.
There are days I spend as much time looking at the scenery as I do photographing birds because I think we live on an amazingly beautiful planet.
I had nice morning light and angled my Jeep so the distant, snowy Promontory Mountains were in the background when I photographed this Song Sparrow singing.
I took this photo of an adult male Red-winged Blackbird taking off this morning with the distant snow covered Promontory Mountains in the background.
Sometimes I go out to look for birds to photograph and all I get are great views of the scenery, sometimes I am okay with that and sometimes it is very frustrating.
In the case of this photo of a lone Canada Goose flying in front of the snowy Wasatch Mountains I took the photo because I liked how nicely lit the goose was in contrast to the darker, snow and cloud covered mountains.
I was able to photograph two Ferruginous Hawks yesterday morning in the West Desert in Tooele County. The light was good, I had birds in my viewfinder and I was away from our building inversion so I was one happy woman.
Three days ago while at my local pond I looked to the east and saw the sun lighting up a snow covered ridge line of the Wasatch Mountains where the ridge behind it was in the shadows and felt that I just had to take a few images.
I'm dreaming of seeing Greater Sage-Grouse, Sandhill Cranes and White-tailed Prairie Dogs as spring warms up the sagebrush steppe.
I photographed this California Gull hovering over the Bear River with the snow covered Promontory Mountains in the back ground while it looked for prey in the open water below.
I did spot a juvenile Northern Harrier in the fog resting on a clump of vegetation in the snow covered field on the east side of the road and took a few images of it.
Ring-billed and California Gulls are the typical gulls I find in Utah so it wasn't much of a surprise to find this California Gull at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
I photographed this Ring-billed Gull in flight at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on New Year's Day on the west side of the auto tour loop.
I had a great time photographing a Western Meadowlark in snow yesterday on Antelope Island State Park near the White Rock Bay campgrounds.
I am going to brave the heat today and head to Antelope Island State Park to see if there are any birds around that aren't hiding in the shade or panting with their bills open.
Yesterday I had a three Coyote day on the causeway to Antelope Island State Park, one was by itself and the other two were traveling together.
Whatever the reason for this behavior I know that I enjoy photographing Northern Harriers while they are ground hunting in a winter wonderland.
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.