Wintertime Mountain Cottontail in Northern Utah
My best photos of the day were of a Mountain Cottontail in the snow and that isn't saying much because of the annoying grass stem that intersects the rabbit's ears.
Drake Redhead Flapping His Wings On a February Afternoon
I've been seeing Redheads at my local pond over the winter but most of the time they have stayed on the other side of the pond so having this one up a bit closer and flapping his wings was a delight.
Five Canada Geese in a February Snow Storm
When some Canada Geese started swimming towards me I took a burst of photos hoping to get a at least one image where snow wasn't blocking the view of the eye of the goose in the front.
Canada Goose Coming in for a Landing and Putting on the Brakes
Canada Geese can look a little goofy when they are landing because they often use their wings, tails and even their feet as brakes to slow themselves down right before they land.
Farmington Bay Ring-billed Gull Immediately After Bathing
As much as I like the first photo where the Ring-billed Gull has its wings spread and its feet still in the water I like the second photo even more because of the action and how the bird is suspended over the water.
Photographing a Pair of Tundra Swans in Flight
As I photographed this pair of Tundra Swans in flight I could hear the whir of their wings and the calls of the other swans that were still on the water and also getting ready to lift off.
Great Horned Owl at Nest Box – Human Made Nests Are Helping Birds
Human made nest boxes, nest baskets, birdhouses, nest shelves and nest platforms can and do help many species of birds in all types of habitats.
Tundra Swans at Home in the Landscape of Bear River MBR
The Tundra Swans are truly at home in the landscape of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and they belong there as much as the mountains, marshes, birds, animals, fish, sky and the clouds overhead do.
Growing Tired of the Winter That Wasn’t & Looking Forward To Spring
When I look up at the tops of the Wasatch, Oquirrh, Stansbury and Promontory mountain ranges and they look more like late April or May than they do on a normal winter because there is just so little snow up there.
Rough-legged Hawk Lift Off At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
The Rough-legged Hawk's wings were fully extended above its body while its feet were still firmly planted on the ground and with one downward swoop of its long wings it was airborne right after this was photo was created.
Drake Redhead Courtship Display
I'm glad that I made the trip down to the pond because I was able to photograph a drake Redhead exhibiting courtship display behavior several times as he tried to impress the hen that was nearby.
Photographing the Tundra Swans of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I had a blast photographing the Tundra Swans at the refuge yesterday and for the first time in a while I forgot about practically everything but the birds in front of me and the peace I find at the refuge.
Drake Common Goldeneye Courtship Display in Low Light
Because I had noticed the Common Goldeneye drake's behavior I was able to photograph him as he assumed the Head-throw posture.
Great Egret – Snowy Egret Size and Appearance Comparison
There are some other differences between Great and Snowy Egrets in appearance of course but I think the comparisons I have written about are the most helpful for me in the field for identification and may be for other people too.
Golden Eagle soaring over the Great Salt Lake
Three years ago today I found and photographed a Golden Eagle that was soaring along the east side of Antelope Island over the Great Salt Lake.
American Goldfinch in Winter Plumage
I photographed a couple of American Goldfinches that morning too, as usual I heard the finches well before I spotted them foraging in some vegetation next to the auto tour route.
Salt Lake County Winter California Gull Portrait
Two days ago this California Gull flew in and was so close to me that I felt I had to take portraits of it because the gull looked so handsome against the blue of the water.
Lesson Learned – Make Sure To Upload Before Reformatting
I lost those Peregrine Falcon images because I had other things on my mind and prematurely reformatted my memory card.
Unusual Behavior – Ring-billed Gull Preening In Flight
Three frames later I was glad this Ring-billed Gull's rotund belly caught my eye when through my viewfinder I could see the gull preening while in flight which is unusual behavior in my experience.
Head On Ring-billed Gull Portrait In A Snow Storm
This portrait of a head on Ring-billed Gull in a snow storm was taken 364 days ago at a local pond near home and I liked it because the gull looks a touch grumpy.
Two American Bitterns – My Best Finds of the Day
My best finds of the day yesterday morning were two American Bitterns on the riverbank of the Bear River at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, birds I do not normally see in January here in northern Utah.
Mallard Drake in Flight in Salt Lake County
I locked on to one of the mallard drakes and when he flew past I was able to take some nice photos of him before he landed on the water
Broad’s Fork Twin Peaks – Things I See While Photographing Birds
This is Broad's Fork Twin Peaks, usually just called Twin Peaks, and I thought my view of it through my lens yesterday was absolutely stunning.
Standing Up For Nature Is Fighting For Our Lives
People who are environmentally conscious and whom respect and love nature already know this, they are my sisters and brothers at arms.
An Immature Snow Goose in Salt Lake County
I can't be certain this is the same goose that I saw on December 26th but I found an immature Snow Goose feeding with some Canada Geese in the grass across the pond.
Photographing An American Coot’s Post Bathing Behavior
Perhaps I am easy to please but I got a real kick out of photographing this American Coot while it bathed, shook and fluffed on the pond close to home.
Common Goldeneye Drake With A Crayfish – We Were Both Lucky Ducks
It is hard to figure out who is the lucky duck here, the Common Goldeneye for catching the crayfish or me for seeing the duck with the crayfish and photographing it.
Drake Common Merganser In Flight In Northern Utah
One of the drake Common Mergansers I saw yesterday flew over the pond and past me close enough for me to take two photos of it up close in the late evening light.
Surprise Peregrine Falcon With Prey On A Brisk Winter Morning
Finding and photographing the surprise Peregrine Falcon with prey was one of the brightest spots of my day.
Male American Kestrel On A Sign Post With His Prey
I've found American Kestrels to be "stickier" in cold weather and it wasn't much above 20°F when I photographed him as he consumed the vole bit by bit.