sagebrush steppe

World Wildlife Day 2024

By |2024-03-03T10:04:21-07:00March 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.

Dawn Light On A Male Greater Sage-Grouse

By |2024-03-02T11:21:58-07:00March 2nd, 2024|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I could, I would wish that everyone, at least once in their lifetime, could visit a Greater Sage-Grouse lek while these fascinating birds are displaying.

Mountain Bluebird On The Aquarius Plateau

By |2024-03-15T06:58:52-06:00March 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Dixie National Forest, Mountain Bluebirds, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I thought this male Mountain Bluebird photographed on the Aquarius Plateau in Wayne County, Utah positively glowed in the early morning light.

Finding Greater Sage-Grouse Away From Their Leks

By |2023-03-16T06:30:34-06:00March 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Dixie National Forest, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn't easy. It takes sharp eyes, keen observation skills, plus knowing what to look for.

Say’s Phoebe – A Bird I Listen For In March

By |2021-03-09T06:40:34-07:00March 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Say's Phoebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The calls of a Say's Phoebe are among the sounds I listen for in March and they are the first members of the tyrant flycatcher family I see each year in northern Utah.

Four Years Ago Today I Found A Rare Upland Sandpiper

By |2022-05-27T13:19:08-06:00August 31st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rarities, Upland Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today stopping for a Golden Eagle perched on a power pole in Box Elder County would net me a rare Upland Sandpiper sighting because of the sandpiper's chattering call.

Ferruginous Hawks in Utah

By |2021-09-23T13:20:27-06:00December 26th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Knowing what kind of habitat Ferruginous Hawks prefer during all four seasons here in northern Utah can increase the chances of finding them year round.

Dawn’s Golden Light On A Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By |2021-03-13T11:06:50-07:00March 28th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was 21 degrees and even though my hands became numb because of the biting cold I kept taking image after image of these Greater Sage-Grouse performing their ancient mating ritual, I started well before dawn and didn't stop until the last grouse left the lek.

Before Dawn Breaks The Courtship Displays Begin On Greater Sage-Grouse Leks

By |2024-03-02T13:19:02-07:00March 18th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Each year across the western states Greater Sage-Grouse begin to fly into leks on the sagebrush steppe during late winter and early spring to perform their fascinating courtship displays well before the first sign of dawn.

Greater Sage-Grouse on a Lek – Our Public Lands – Our Legacy

By |2021-03-26T09:44:47-06:00February 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One might ask what do Greater Sage-Grouse have to do with our public lands and the answer would be that more than half of all remaining habit for these large upland game birds is on our public lands in the Western U.S..

Without Science You Would Not See This Short-eared Owl Photo

By |2024-01-19T03:13:03-07:00January 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Without science you would not see this Short-eared Owl chick photo. You are here viewing it through a device using an internet connection to connect to a page housed on a server.

One Frigid Morning On A Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By |2021-03-26T07:24:14-06:00November 21st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was 21°F one frigid morning on a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek and before dawn broke the grouse began to display on the high country sagebrush steppe in Wayne County, Utah.

The State of North American Birds and its Not Good News

By |2021-01-28T15:47:24-07:00July 1st, 2016|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Greater Sage-Grouse, Mountain Plovers, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These four birds, an American Oystercatcher, a Greater Sage-Grouse, a Reddish Egret and a Mountain Plover are all facing the risk of extinction without serious conservation measures to reduce declines in populations and habitat destruction.

Low light Ferruginous Hawk in Flight with Nesting Material

By |2021-09-23T14:36:46-06:00June 10th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Ferruginous Hawks, Montana|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to create several images of this Ferruginous Hawk in flight with nesting materials over a field of sage and lupines despite the low light.

Spring Black-tailed Jackrabbits

By |2021-12-29T05:55:43-07:00May 3rd, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Black-tailed Jackrabbits, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I adore the Black-tailed Jackrabbits I see on Antelope Island State Park for their huge caramel colored eyes, long ears and their soft looking fur.

Greater Sage-Grouse, White-tailed Prairie Dogs and the Sagebrush Steppe

By |2021-07-04T04:29:08-06:00March 2nd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County, White-tailed Prairie Dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

A short trip to look for Greater Sage-Grouse, White-tailed Prairie Dogs and the other birds and animals that call the sagebrush steppe their home.

Greater Sage-Grouse Lek and News on Protections for the Grouse

By |2023-03-13T07:47:37-06:00May 29th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Conservation, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two months ago today I was photographing on a Greater Sage-Grouse lek in 21°F weather in Wayne County, Utah.

Mesmerizing Mating Displays at a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By |2023-03-15T18:28:36-06:00March 30th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I will share more Greater Sage-Grouse images from this lek soon but as usual I came home from this trip exhausted and it will take me a few days to get through all the images I took.

Sage Thrashers and the Rapidly Disappearing Sea of Sage

By |2023-10-03T03:48:10-06:00March 22nd, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Conservation, Davis County, Environment, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Can the disappearance of Sagebrush Seas be stopped? Yes, it could be but we need lawmakers that believe in science and act on it.

Centennial Valley Bathing Vesper Sparrows

By |2023-03-07T06:32:57-07:00September 15th, 2014|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A Vesper Sparrow caught my eye last week as it fluttered and fluffed on an old barb wire fence near the road and I just had to photograph it.

Sage Thrashers and Sagebrush

By |2022-03-13T09:15:15-06:00April 23rd, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Sage Thrashers are considered sagebrush obligates meaning that they require sagebrush for some part of their life cycle and for the Sage Thrashers in Utah that means they need it during the breeding cycle.

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