Male Belted Kingfisher in Winter at Farmington Bay WMA
Belted Kingfishers are year round residents in northern Utah but my best opportunities to photograph them at Farmington Bay WMA are during the winter.
Winter Common Mergansers – A Visual Break From The Summer Heat
Back in February there was still snow on the ground, ice on the water and Common Mergansers were at Farmington Bay WMA and some were sporting their breeding plumage.
Landing Drake Mallard
I don't often have the opportunity of taking photos of ducks that are flying straight at me while coming in for a landing which is exactly what this drake mallard did.
Dreaming of Tundra Swans & Winter
Some Tundra Swans migrate from the arctic tundra using the Great Basin hub of the Pacific flyway and huge flocks of them spend the winter here.
Mule Deer leaping over a fence in Box Elder County
I got lucky and the first Mule Deer that leaped over the fence filled my viewfinder and I didn't clip anything.
I Adore Sandhill Cranes
Even though I can't see them with my eyes as I write this I can imagine Sandhill Cranes waiting for the first rays of the sun to reach the marshes where they spent the night.
Black-billed Magpie on the Rocks of Antelope Island
When I found a Black-billed Magpie on the rocks close to the road below Frary Peak I was happy to photograph it there.
Winter Clashes With Spring – Seasonal Changes Make Bird Photography Interesting
Winter is clashing with spring right now in northern Utah and those seasonal changes can make bird photography interesting.
Perched Golden Eagle in Northern Utah
Two days ago this Golden Eagle was perched on a rocky outcrop but because of a blind spot I didn't see it quite soon enough but at least I was able to get a few decent images of it.
Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in a Snow Storm
It was my photos of a Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in the snow storm that touched me the most even though both birds are small in the frame.
Coyote Running On The Ice Of The Great Salt Lake
I was excited and delighted to spot and photograph a coyote running on the ice of the Great Salt Lake a few days ago in the golden light just after dawn.
Portraits of Bison Bulls Drinking From An Iced Over Puddle
These portraits of bison bulls drinking from an iced over puddle were taken with my Nikon D500, my 500mm VR lens with a teleconverter attached from inside a vehicle.
Pied-billed Grebes in Flight – Rare Sight to See & Photograph
Yesterday afternoon I was at my local pond where I photographed not one but two Pied-billed Grebes in flight. This is rarely seen and rarely photographed.
Peregrine Falcon Stretching Sessions
I spent forty-one minutes observing and photographing this Peregrine Falcon yesterday while it rested, preened and stretched right next to the Great Salt Lake.
Immature Rough-legged Hawk With Its Jackrabbit Prey
My best bird of the day was a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk standing on a jackrabbit in the snow that I spotted next to the road.
Canada Geese on Willow Pond
Because they are very common in most North America Canada Geese are often overlooked as subjects by some bird photographers.
Male American Kestrel Resting and Preening – One Good Bird Can Make the Day
I have mentioned before how one good bird can make a day and yesterday that bird was a male American Kestrel resting and preening at Farmington Bay WMA.
Pair of Mallards Mating in February
Mallards form pairs in the fall and courtship can seen during the winter and seeing them mating in February isn't all that unusual.
Gray Partridges in Snow and Low Light – Frustrations in Bird Photography
The surprise birds of the day were Gray Partridges in an area where I hadn't seen them before and they were feeding close to the edge of the road.
Rough-legged Hawk, Lichens and Snow
When I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock the light was decent and brought out the colors of the hawk and the orange lichen covering the rocky outcropping it was perched on.
Coyote and a Vole on a Dreary Winter Day
I did not see many birds that dreary day but I did have fun photographing a Coyote hunting, catching and consuming a vole in low light conditions.
Bathing Pied-billed Grebe Photos
When I saw this Pied-billed Grebe bathing at Farmington Bay I couldn't resist photographing it as it splashed water all over itself.
Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay
I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.
American Coot Being Chased By Mallards For Food
Early in January I photographed an American Coot being chased by two Mallards for the food it carried in its bill.
Portraits of Ring-billed Gulls in a Snow Storm
I'm glad I took these portraits of Ring-billed Gulls in a snow storm, they will remind me of a gray, cold, stormy January day when I was just crazy enough to sit and photograph birds as snowflakes fell from the sky.
Progress versus Growth
There are some that say the state can better care for those lands. I'd call them fools but we humans are all distant cousins so I'll tame that down a bit and call them misled instead. Intentionally and deliberately misled.
Peregrine Falcon in the Snow – My Best Find of the Day
My best find of the day was a Peregrine Falcon in the snow perched on a colorful boulder with a snowy background.
Drake Gadwall Flapping His Wings on a Winter Day
Several of the Gadwalls were tipping their heads under the water to feed when this drake started to flap his wings before settling back down on the water.
American Kestrel With Prey On A Snowy Winter Day
The American Kestrel was perched on an arching wild rose branch with prey in his bill when I photographed him with snow covered ice and the Wasatch Mountains in the background
Moon Set Over the Snowy Promontory Mountains and a Deceased Golden Eagle
Further down the road I spotted a dark lump on the shoulder and my heart sank because I immediately realized that the lump was a deceased Golden Eagle.