aspen

Tree Swallows Have Migrated Into Northern Utah

By |2024-03-25T06:57:17-06:00March 25th, 2024|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, High Uintas, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over the weekend, I read on Facebook that Tree Swallows have migrated back into Northern Utah for their breeding season. I am so excited about that news!

Yellow Warbler And Golden Quaking Aspen Leaves

By |2023-09-17T05:10:35-06:00September 17th, 2023|Categories: Birds, East Canyon, Morgan County, Quaking Aspens, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago today, I was up in the Wasatch Mountains, focused on a bright Yellow Warbler snugly nestled in a hawthorn tree on a hillside.

3000 Daily Posts In A Row Milestone

By |2023-07-19T13:06:50-06:00July 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.

Tree Swallow Nesting In An Aspen

By |2024-03-25T04:59:35-06:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While up high in the Uinta Mountains yesterday morning I photographed this female Tree Swallow checking out a nesting cavity in a Quaking Aspen.

Woodland Coyote Watching Me Watching Him

By |2022-05-24T04:22:22-06:00May 24th, 2022|Categories: Coyotes, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I photographed hummingbirds last week high in the Wasatch Mountains I also took images of an adult male woodland Coyote watching me watching him.

Male Northern Flicker Images

By |2022-05-04T05:40:32-06:00May 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.

Low Light Male Mountain Bluebird

By |2022-04-22T05:44:49-06:00April 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Scenics, Summit County, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago while I was high in the Wasatch Mountains this adult male Mountain Bluebird landed close enough for me to take photos of him.

Turkey Vulture, An Aspen And A Smoky Haze

By |2021-07-15T04:57:59-06:00July 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last bird I photographed high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago was an adult Turkey Vulture perched in an aspen in a smoky haze.

Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers And A Butterfly

By |2024-02-09T04:59:37-07:00May 23rd, 2021|Categories: California Tortoiseshell Butterflies, Shrubs, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On a recent trip to the West Desert sky island mountains in Tooele County I found my lens pointed at trees, shrubs, wildflowers and a butterfly.

Red-naped Sapsucker Photos

By |2021-04-11T06:10:38-06:00April 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 |2024-03-25T07:54:11-06:00March 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 |2024-02-26T10:09:36-07:00August 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.

Tree Swallows Nesting In The Uinta Mountains

By |2024-03-25T07:42:35-06:00May 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tree Swallows and other birds should be nesting in the Uinta Mountains by now and I am itching to hop into my Jeep to drive up there to find them.

Focusing On House Wrens

By |2024-02-26T07:39:46-07:00May 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.

One Bad Mama Mountain Bluebird And Her Swiss Army Knife

By |2021-03-27T17:12:36-06:00May 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Imagine my surprise when through my viewfinder I could see that the female Mountain Bluebird had landed on a Swiss Army knife that was stuck into the bark of one of the trees.

Nesting Northern Flickers Provide Nests For Other Birds

By |2024-03-07T14:34:56-07:00May 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.

Nesting Mountain Bluebirds And Other Woodland Birds

By |2024-02-26T09:52:54-07:00April 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, House Wrens, Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds. 

Finding Wild Turkey Hens Roosting In Aspens

By |2022-02-04T15:00:15-07:00April 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I got out into the field for a little while yesterday morning and because of the observation skills I have developed over many years I was able to find two Wild Turkey hens roosting in Aspen trees.

Adult Male Red-naped Sapsucker With Food For His Chicks

By |2021-04-11T06:05:04-06:00April 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 |2023-11-02T07:11:29-06:00April 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.

Visions Of Spring And Nesting House Wrens

By |2024-02-26T07:11:53-07:00January 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Summit County, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These nesting House Wren photos were taken two years ago at the end of May high up in the Uinta Mountains where stands of aspens are used as nesting trees.

Picture This: Utah Could Lose Our Mountain Bluebirds

By |2023-12-17T02:38:48-07:00August 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.

Yellow Warbler High In The Uinta Mountains

By |2021-05-23T04:06:15-06:00May 25th, 2019|Categories: Birds, High Uintas, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The other bird I photographed that day in the high Uintas was a gorgeous male Yellow Warbler foraging in an aspen tree very close to where I sat inside a "mobile" blind at the edge of a dirt road.

Autumn East Canyon Red-tailed Hawk Adults

By |2021-11-27T05:32:20-07:00October 16th, 2018|Categories: Birds, East Canyon, Morgan County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw a low of 15°F yesterday morning up in the East Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains and I also saw plenty of Red-tailed Hawk adults perched in trees and flying along the way.

Photographing Immature American Robins In A Smoky Wildfire Haze

By |2024-03-10T06:29:55-06:00August 7th, 2018|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While photographing some waxwings a flash of movement caught my eye and I spotted an immature American Robin reaching for a berry in a Utah Serviceberry shrub, I couldn't help myself, I had to photograph this young bird too.

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

By |2021-04-11T06:37:58-06:00July 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 |2024-02-18T14:10:53-07:00June 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.

Male Red-naped Sapsucker Close Ups – Too Much Glass

By |2021-04-11T06:42:25-06:00June 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted a flash of black, white and red as a bird landed in the aspen tree that was closest to me above where the wrens and swallows are nesting and realized that a male Red-naped Sapsucker had flown in and was foraging for food in the buds of the aspen.

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