Searching For Rough-legged Hawks
It is currently the time of the year when I start looking for Rough-legged Hawks in northern Utah, the temps have dipped below freezing, there has been frost on the ground and now we've had our first snow.
Cooling Winter Views Of The Great Salt Lake
I live in such a beautiful state and even though birds are my primary focus as subjects the natural world that surrounds me is endlessly fascinating, stunning and I hope I never lose the sense of wonder I feel when I see it.
Imagine Utah Without California Gulls
Ah, Mia, it is just a bird. No, it isn't just a bird. Because California Gulls aren't the only birds at risk of disappearing from the skies, shorelines and waters of Utah.
Hovering White-lined Sphinx Moth Getting Nectar
Even though I am primarily a bird photographer I can't resist photographing other subjects especially if those subjects have wings so when I saw a White-lined Sphinx moth yesterday I simply had to focus on it for a bit.
Celebrate The Spiders Of Antelope Island – Spider Fest On August 3, 2019
Mark your calendars because there is a yearly Spider Festival on Antelope Island State Park and this year the festival is being held next Saturday on August 3, 2019.
How I Know That This A Vesper Sparrow
The first ID features I noticed yesterday with this Vesper Sparrow were the bright, white eyerings and the rufous lesser coverts and I could make my ID from just those two features.
Photographing A Calling Willet On A Rocky Hillside
It was a pleasure for me to see and photograph a Willet two days ago on Antelope Island State Park and this Willet even started calling which made it even more of a pleasure for me.
Male Burrowing Owl With Blooming Redstem Filaree
Yesterday I was lucky enough to find a male Burrowing Owl whose burrow is in front of a clump of Redstem Filaree that is blooming profusely and for me that was a joy because I had two of my favorite subjects in the same frame.
Western Meadowlark Photos With Signs Of Spring Growth
The birds I heard and saw on the island with the most frequency were Western Meadowlarks, most of them were too far away or too skittish to photograph but one of them was cooperative and I was grateful for that.
I Swear I heard A Willet Calling Two Days Ago
While looking for Sage Thrashers to photograph on Antelope Island two days ago I swear I heard a Willet call. It was just one distant call but my ears perked up right away.
Why Did The Curlew Cross The Road?
The road is nothing more than a sandy track that runs through a grassland area where in past years I have seen Long-billed Curlews displaying, fighting, courting and mating and I hoped to see that yesterday.
Resting Sage Thrasher Plus My Concerns About Biting Gnats
So as of right now I am not sure whether I will be spending time on the island after the biting gnats come out which means if I am going to photograph Sage Thrashers displaying I need to find the thrashers some place else.
Singing Male Horned Lark Close Up On Antelope Island
This singing male Horned Lark was close enough to me that I could take portraits of him while he sang two days ago and I believe the reason he was so close was that his urge to find a mate overcame his natural wariness.
Utah’s Long-billed Curlews Have Arrived And Their Calls Are Being Heard
Yesterday when I saw, heard and photographed these Long-billed Curlews while on Antelope Island I was reminded of all the times I have taken photos of these large shorebirds here in Utah, Montana and in Florida and how I have enjoyed having an intimate view of their lives both through my lens and with my eyes.
Resting Black-billed Magpie Close Up On Antelope Island
So far this year the only photo I've taken of the nest building magpies that I have liked is this close up of a resting Black-billed Magpie who was taking a break from looking for nesting materials.
Singing Male Horned Lark And The Great Salt Lake
I was thrilled to photograph this singing male Horned Lark last week because he was high up on a boulder with the Great Salt Lake below and behind him since I don't have many images of this species with the lake in the background.
Early Spring American Tree Sparrow
The last time I wrote about American Tree Sparrows I said that they would be migrating soon and that I hoped I could take a few more photos of them before they migrated and I had that opportunity two days ago.
Common Raven Close Ups On The Shoreline of the Great Salt Lake
At first the Common Raven was near the side of the road but it moved down the rocks and got closer to the lake and where it poked around in the rocks.
My First Of Year Sandhill Cranes!
I was very excited to spot my first of year Sandhill Cranes yesterday near the causeway to Antelope Island where a pair of the cranes were foraging on the flats of the Great Salt Lake.
Close Up Western Meadowlark
This close up of a Western Meadowlark was taken nearly two years ago on Antelope Island State Park while the bird foraged on the ground.
Early Franklin’s Gull at Bear River MBR on March 6, 2018
While I had the Sandhill Crane and the Ring-billed Gulls in my view finder I heard a call and it only took a second for my brain to figure out that I was hearing a Franklin's Gull which surprised me because it was at the refuge much earlier than I have ever seen one there before.
Our American Tree Sparrows Will Soon Be Winging Their Way North
Before too long these small but handsome American Tree Sparrows will be winging their way north to their breeding grounds in the thickets and open tundra of northern Canada and Alaska.
Chukar in Snow Photographed Six Years Ago Today
I was tickled to photograph this Chukar six years ago because it showed off its subtle colors and patterns so nicely against a canvas of white snow.
Mountain Cottontail On A Bright January Morning
I haven't seen rabbits for quite some time on the island so when I spotted this Mountain Cottontail yesterday on a small snow-topped hill I knew I had to get photos of it.
Eye Level With A Rough-legged Hawk Carrying Prey
Being at eye level with this Rough-legged Hawk carrying prey along the causeway to Antelope Island is an experience I won't soon forget.
American Bison Bull Grazing With Snow On The Ground
I can remember the day I photographed this American Bison bull grazing with snow on the ground clearly in part because I was seeing the island with a friend who hadn't been there before which is akin to seeing the area with fresh eyes.
That Wasn’t Cool – Sorry About Those Ads
I recently became aware that there were ads at the bottom of the email that was automatically sent out to you all when I published my blog post this morning.
Adult Tundra Swan – White On White
Some of the Tundra Swan photos I took that day in near white out conditions were flat and unappealing to my eyes but some of them I really liked because of the white bird on white snow.
Anxiously Awaiting My First Of Season American Tree Sparrows
I checked eBird this morning and I only see one person reporting American Tree Sparrows so far this autumn in northern Utah so hopefully that means one more cold front pushing through and I will be seeing these long-tailed, rusty capped sparrows with their gray heads, rusty eyelines and bicolored bills.
Autumn Yellow-rumped Warblers Are On the Move
I've been spotting more and more Yellow-rumped Warblers over the past 10 to 14 days and I am excited because I have been expecting them to start showing up in my viewfinder.