Rough-legged Hawk on a Designated Parking Sign
Many of the birds here in the Salt Lake Valley find a place to roost in the evening and overnight frost begins to accumulate on their feathers like it did on this Rough-legged Hawk on a parking sign.
Possible Name Change for Ring-necked Duck to Ring-billed Duck
In 2017 one of the proposals submitted to the AOS is to rename Ring-necked Ducks to Ring-billed Ducks and I personally am all for the name change!
Ring-billed Gull In Earlier Than Normal Definitive Alternate Plumage
I start seeing some Ring-billed Gulls in breeding/Definitive Alternate Plumage in February but I sure didn't expect to see this one on the third day of January, I was quite surprised by it.
Pale-chested American Kestrel – Variability in the Underparts of Male American Kestrels
The male American Kestrel caught my eye immediately because he has such a pale chest that the spots on his chest stood out like tiny black jewels set in a field of snow white.
Runty Second Winter Ring-billed Gull Photos
On January 3rd I photographed two unusual Ring-billed Gulls at my local pond in Salt Lake County, today I am sharing one of those gulls, the runty, second winter Ring-billed Gull.
Prairie Falcon with Prey in Box Elder County, Utah (Graphic)
The Prairie Falcon I photographed had prey and that may be why it was less skittish. I have no idea what the prey is but it is larger than a vole and had fur not feathers.
Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay
Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.
Funny Rough-legged Hawk – Preserving, Nurturing and Expressing a Sense of Humor
I think this Rough-legged Hawk has read one too many hysterical Tweets lately. I know I have.
Ring-billed Gull with Crayfish in the Snow – Plus Our Crazy Weather in Northern Utah Right Now
Last week while I was photographing birds at the local pond I saw a Ring-billed Gull catch a crayfish at the shoreline then it gobbled it up quickly before the rest of the gulls realized it had food.
Ring-billed Gulls Bathing on New Year’s Day
The Ring-billed Gulls up close to me were bathing frequently so I focused on them for a bit to catch them splashing and dipping their heads and bodies into the water.
Raccoon on Ice at Farmington Bay on New Years Day
While photographing a Great Blue Heron at the first bridge I spotted a dark shape running, slipping and sliding on the snow-covered ice and could see that it was a Raccoon.
Winter American Coot Portrait
When the birds settled back down on the pond this American Coot walked up onto the shore with the open water behind it and I couldn't resist taking portraits of it.
Canada Goose landing on Willow Pond in Salt Lake County
When I had the opportunity to photograph this Canada Goose landing on Willow Pond I took it and I caught the goose as its webbed feet hit the water so that it looked like the goose was water skiing.
Wintertime Wilson’s Snipes in Snow
Wilson's Snipes are medium-sized, stocky shorebirds that can be found in Utah year round despite the ice, freezing temperatures and heavy snow we have here during our winters.
First year Red-tailed Hawk Close Up in a Snow Storm
This first year Red-tailed Hawk close up in the snow storm was a reminder of how much our birds and wildlife have to struggle to get through the harsh winter.
Canada Goose Lift Off Series Plus More Photos of the Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid
Yesterday morning at my local pond I took a series of images of a Canada Goose lifting off plus more photos of the Canada x Snow Goose hybrid I found there.
Common Merganser hunting close up in Salt Lake County, Utah
Two days ago I was surprised by being able to photograph a Common Merganser hunting close to the shoreline of a nearby pond in Salt Lake County.
Eye Color Variation in California Gulls
The typical eye color for California Gulls is a very dark brown that appears almost black in most cases but there can be variations in their eye color.
Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid – Its Parentage Had Bewildered Me
This Canada Goose hybrid could be a Canada x Snow Goose or a Canada x Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid, those two species make the most sense to me, but I can't be certain of its parentage.
Male Common Goldeneye in Breeding Plumage on the Jordan River
I photographed this male Common Goldeneye in breeding plumage on the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah in low light on a cold morning.
Canada Geese Portraits
Three days ago when the sun broke through the clouds in the afternoon I went to the pond and was able to take several Canada Geese portraits with the blue water of the pond in the background.
Redhead Drakes
This Redhead drake photographed at the refuge in his breeding plumage sure stood out well from the water that was reflecting the spring growth of rushes and phragmites.
Winter American Coots
Winter is a great time to photograph these coots close to home because they seem more approachable plus the water picks up wonderful reflections from the snow on the ground at the edge of the pond.
Common Goldeneyes plus one Common Raven
I had fun photographing the Common Raven and the Common Goldeneyes yesterday and even though the cold temps made my fingers numb, these birds were the highlight of my day.
Adult Snow Goose on Willow Pond
There were several hundred Canada Geese on the pond and because I have seen reports of Cackling and Snow Geese in the area I scanned the pond with my lens and spotted a lone Snow Goose.
Continuing Male Belted Kingfisher and Snow-covered Farmington Bay
Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph the continuing male Belted Kingfisher with the snow-covered marsh in the background, a few times he even had prey.
Red-breasted Mergansers in Utah
Near the auto tour route though I saw what appeared to be 250 to 300 Red-breasted Mergansers on the Bear River. I think it was the largest raft of Red-breasted Mergansers I have ever seen.
What I Am Thankful For…
I am thankful for living as long as I have and for being able to live my life the way I want to and to be able to pursue my passion of bird, wildlife and nature photography.
Fun Photographing a Male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay
I had fun photographing a male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay as he caught prey and ate it on a post near a little creek.
Short Tale of a Song Sparrow Without a Tail
On the last day of 2015 I photographed this Song Sparrow without a tail on Antelope Island State Park during the early morning while frost still clung to branch the sparrow was perched on.