Targhee National Forest

World Wildlife Day 2024

By |2024-03-03T10:04:21-06:00March 3rd, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark County, Conservation, Great Basin Bumble Bees, House Wrens, Idaho, Long-horned Bees, Moose, Targhee National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every March 3, the world comes together to honor World Wildlife Day, a global occasion that pays tribute to the astounding array of life inhabiting our planet.

3000 Daily Posts In A Row Milestone

By |2023-07-19T13:06:50-05:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Milestone, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is a milestone day for me. I'm celebrating the fact that I have shared 3000 daily posts here at On The Wing Photography in a row.

Male Northern Flicker Images

By |2022-05-04T05:40:32-05:00May 4th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Northern Flickers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing a few male Northern Flicker images that I took seven years ago at the edge of a mountain forest in the Targhee National Forest in Idaho.

Red-naped Sapsucker Photos

By |2021-04-11T06:10:38-05:00April 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah. 

Tree Swallows Have Returned

By |2024-03-25T07:54:11-05:00March 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A little birdie told me that Tree Swallows returned to the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge about the middle of this month.

Molting House Wren

By |2024-02-26T10:09:36-06:00August 24th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two weeks ago I photographed a molting House Wren high in the Wasatch Mountains as it perched near a willow thicket.

Focusing On House Wrens

By |2024-02-26T07:39:46-06:00May 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

To photograph House Wrens and other birds I know I need to find them which means focusing my attention on the sights and sounds around me whenever I am out in the field which has worked extremely well for me.

Nesting Northern Flickers Provide Nests For Other Birds

By |2024-03-07T14:34:56-06:00May 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Northern Flickers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By excavating their own nests Northern Flickers provide nests for other woodland birds that can't excavate nesting cavities on their own and those nests can be used over and over again. Nature is brilliant.

Adult Male Red-naped Sapsucker With Food For His Chicks

By |2021-04-11T06:05:04-05:00April 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The adult Red-naped Sapsuckers often clung to the entrance to the nesting cavity for a few seconds before they went inside with the food they had gathered to give to their chicks.

Photographing Nesting Williamson’s Sapsuckers

By |2023-11-02T07:11:29-05:00April 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For one and a half wonderful nesting seasons I was thrilled to photograph a pair of mated Williamson's Sapsuckers excavating a nest and tending to their young.

Picture This: Utah Could Lose Our Mountain Bluebirds

By |2024-03-29T07:28:23-05:00August 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Conservation, Environment, Idaho, Mountain Bluebirds, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our current climate crisis could mean Utah might lose our Mountain Bluebirds and it is not just us, it is Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming that will also be affected if action isn't taken now.

Photographic Frustrations – Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest

By |2021-04-11T06:37:58-05:00July 11th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Frustrations in bird photography, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I experienced one of the two most frustrating days in my entire time of being a bird photographer while photographing Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho.

Aspen Eyes – Where Trees Appear To Gaze At The World Around Them

By |2024-02-18T14:10:53-06:00June 17th, 2018|Categories: Clark County, Idaho, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Trees, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love seeing the Aspen eyes of the forest upon me and I find myself happy to photograph them whenever I can.

Red-breasted Nuthatches and Their Nesting Cavities

By |2024-03-12T07:50:50-05:00May 7th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Right now Red-breasted Nuthatches should be looking for or excavating nesting cavities here in northern Utah which means I should take a trip up to the back roads in the mountains soon and see if I can locate some closer to home than Idaho or Montana.

Young Wildlife – Moose, Marmot, Pronghorn, Red Fox and Wild Horses

By |2024-03-13T15:50:07-05:00May 2nd, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Idaho, Montana, Moose, Mustangs, Pronghorn, Red Foxes, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Horses, Wildlife, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Spring is the season of birth and rebirth, the leaves of trees unfurl, the dormant grasses and forbs poke up through the ground, flower buds burst open and flowers in all the colors of the rainbow appear on the landscapes, birds nest and incubate and wild animals give birth to their young.

Photographing a Male Northern Flicker Excavating a Nesting Cavity

By |2024-03-07T15:00:33-06:00March 23rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Nesting Birds, Northern Flickers, Targhee National Forest, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I dug into my archives and picked these Northern Flicker photos from May of 2015 to share today because I saw a Northern Flicker yesterday and thought of how they will soon start excavating their nesting cavities to rear their young in.

With Midges Emerging Will Swallows Arrive Soon?

By |2024-03-20T12:33:19-05:00February 18th, 2018|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark County, Cliff Swallows, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

That one midge I saw in the restroom at Bear River MBR did cause me to wonder if the swallows will show up early this year in northern Utah or will the predicted cooler weather cause them arrive at their normal time.

Perched male Red-naped Sapsucker in Idaho’s Targhee National Forest

By |2021-04-11T06:06:33-05:00December 4th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Red-naped Sapsucker was perched on a dead aspen branch near the nesting cavity where I photographed a chick being fed by the adults in mid July.

Red-naped Sapsucker Diving Away From Nesting Cavity

By |2021-04-11T06:46:07-05:00August 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did find one jewel in the images, a photo of one of the adult Red-naped Sapsuckers flying away from the nesting cavity looking like a bullet.

Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?

By |2021-04-11T10:18:40-05:00July 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.

Adult Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding its Chick at the Nesting Cavity

By |2021-04-11T06:50:10-05:00July 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Although photographing the Red-naped Sapsuckers at the nesting cavity has been frustrating at times it has also been very rewarding to observe all the action of the sapsucker family.

Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding Young

By |2021-04-11T06:59:25-05:00July 12th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Jackpot and frustrations... I'll explain the jackpot first and get to the frustrations later about the Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker feeding its young.

Low light Tree Swallow in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho

By |2024-03-25T06:31:46-05:00May 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last year I was able to spend time photographing this male Tree Swallow in low light in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho and even though the light wasn't the best I still liked the resulting images.

Sapsuckers, Bluebirds and Nuthatches and the Magical Sapsucker Tree

By |2024-03-04T11:08:44-06:00May 3rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Mountain Bluebirds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago today I was in the Targhee National Forest of Clark County, Idaho photographing birds at what I called the "Magical Sapsucker Tree".

Tired of the Rain & Wishing for Bluebird Skies

By |2024-03-29T05:59:18-05:00April 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Burr Trail, Clark County, Idaho, Mountain Bluebirds, Targhee National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The gray skies are getting old and I'm suffering from cabin fever and wishing for some bright bluebird skies to get out to photograph birds and to be able to relax and soak in nature.

Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By |2024-03-27T06:20:55-05:00December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

Scenic Views of My Recent Trip to Montana and Idaho

By |2021-06-23T08:25:33-05:00September 20th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Idaho, Montana, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I go on trips to Montana and Idaho it is primarily about finding and photographing birds but the places I visit are so beautiful that I feel I have to photograph the scenic views too.

Western Goatsbeard Seedhead in the Targhee National Forest

By |2021-05-16T07:57:37-05:00July 30th, 2016|Categories: Clark County, Idaho, Targhee National Forest, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The scientific name is Tragopogon dubius but this forb has many common names including Yellow Salsify, Yellow Goatsbeard, Western Salsify, Wild Oysterplant and my favorite Western Goatsbeard.

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