Mockingbirds, Thrashers, Catbirds, Starlings and Pipits

American Robin Chasing Off A Gray Catbird

By |2024-03-10T04:59:52-05:00June 9th, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don’t think it was a “King of the castle” kind of behavior going on but what do I know, I am not a bird!

Photographing Gray Catbird Interactions In The Mountains

By |2023-03-23T14:58:46-05:00June 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm grateful that I spotted a single Gray Catbird pop up on top of a snowberry bush yesterday morning because if I hadn't none of the following photos would have been possible.

My First Of Year Gray Catbird – Heard But Not Seen

By |2021-04-27T05:28:37-05:00April 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On April 2nd in a canyon in some mountains of the West Desert of Utah I heard a familiar call, the mewing call of a Gray Catbird while I was looking for birds to photograph.

Juvenile, Immature And Adult Sage Thrashers

By |2021-03-05T06:00:44-06:00March 9th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The comparisons I have made between juvenile, immature and adult Sage Thrashers are basic, there are more ways to determine their age but I wanted to keep the comparisons simple.

Juvenile Gray Catbird With An Eye On Me

By |2021-04-27T07:36:08-05:00March 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago I was able to find and photograph quiet a few young Gray Catbirds high in the Wasatch Mountain canyons including this one who seemed to be keeping an eye on me.

American Pipits In Sweet Morning Light

By |2021-11-02T05:45:12-05:00March 3rd, 2020|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These are a few of my favorite photos that I have taken of American Pipits. Ever. Part of the reason they are my favorites is because of the sweet morning light.

European Starling On A Snowy Winter Day

By |2021-04-20T13:59:31-05:00February 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When this European Starling perched in a Crabapple tree close to me during the snowstorm I was able to get a few photos of it before my hands started to hurt from the cold.

My First Gray Catbird Juvenile Sighting Of The Season

By |2021-04-27T05:26:42-05:00July 17th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I was extremely pleased to see and photograph my first Gray Catbird juvenile of this breeding season yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as it came into view on a hawthorn tree.

Resting Sage Thrasher Plus My Concerns About Biting Gnats

By |2021-03-05T04:30:29-06:00March 29th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

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.

2018 Year In Review For On The Wing Photography

By |2024-04-01T12:51:40-05:00December 31st, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, California Gulls, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Mockingbirds, Peregrine Falcons, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Say's Phoebes, Tundra Swans, Wild Turkeys, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

All in all, as 2018 comes to a close I realize how fortunate I am to see all the birds that I do throughout the year as a bird photographer, to be able to do what I love and to love my feathered subjects too.

Cooper’s Hawk & European Starling Encounter

By |2024-03-16T12:48:46-05:00December 10th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, European Starlings, Lee Kay Ponds, Morgan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Then the noise suddenly stopped and I saw the silhouette of a European Starling fly out of the tree with the Cooper's Hawk hot on its tail, literally.

My First Plus My Most Recent American Pipit Photos

By |2023-11-04T03:32:58-05:00November 15th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoy these tail-bobbing American Pipits every bit as much today as I did the morning I first saw them near Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay but since I moved to Utah I can see and photograph them more often.

European Starling Facts and Information

By |2021-04-20T13:06:04-05:00October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Personally I am fascinated by European Starling murmurations, their interesting, beautiful plumage and how they can mimic the calls and songs of other birds.

Cooperative Northern Mockingbird in Autumn

By |2024-04-01T12:40:29-05:00October 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Mockingbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some days one good bird is all I get and if I hadn't spotted this cooperative Mockingbird on a Fragrant Sumac in northern Utah yesterday I would have been mostly skunked.

Rough-legged Hawks Have Returned & Expect Big Changes At Bear River MBR

By |2023-10-25T18:21:56-05:00October 17th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My big excitement yesterday morning was seeing my first, second and third of the year Rough-legged Hawks at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the next thing was seeing all the changes that have happened at the refuge since my last visit.

American Pipits and Fall Migration

By |2021-03-04T04:20:38-06:00October 5th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Pipits aren't flashy birds, in fact some people might think they are rather plain or dull colored. I am always happy to have them in my viewfinder and to hear their flight calls in the breeze.

Sage Thrasher With Fragrant Sumac Berry In Mid Air In Dawn’s Golden Light

By |2021-03-07T10:12:12-06:00October 2nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Sage Thrasher seemed like it was bathed in golden light when suddenly I saw that it had a sumac berry which it tossed it into the air and proceeded to swallow it whole.

Sage Thrashers, Northern Mockingbird, White-crowned Sparrow and Wild Rose Hips

By |2024-04-01T13:04:58-05:00September 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Mockingbirds, Sage Thrashers, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The birds I photographed on the wild rose bushes were adult and immature Sage Thrashers, an adult White-crowned Sparrow and one beautiful Northern Mockingbird.

Focusing On Juvenile Gray Catbirds Learning To Be On Their Own

By |2021-04-27T04:05:39-05:00August 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a lot of fun photographing adult Gray Catbirds earlier this year and photographing the juveniles learning to be on their own has been equally fun and entertaining.

Birds & More Birds in The Wasatch Mountains

By |2024-03-30T14:05:13-05:00August 10th, 2018|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Bullock's Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the past week I have photographed so many birds in a Wasatch Mountain canyon that I thought I would share a group of them in a photo gallery.

Gray Catbird, Willows and Sunshine

By |2021-04-27T07:39:21-05:00July 3rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have truly been enjoying being able to photograph Gray Catbirds this spring and summer because they are challenging to get out in the open, because I think they are dashing in appearance and their songs always delight me.

Gray Catbirds with Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Berries

By |2021-03-30T07:01:57-05:00June 26th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Close up, Gray Catbirds, Habitat, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm going to keep trying to obtain better photos of the Gray Catbirds with the Black Twinberry berries and perhaps before long the catbirds will bring their young to feast on these berries too!

Trio of Gray Catbird Photos – They are the Cat’s Meow

By |2021-04-27T07:43:51-05:00June 23rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Gray Catbirds aren't flashy and except for the spot of cinnamon colored feathers under their tails they are mostly an overall gray with a black cap. While their appearance isn't dazzling the variety of songs they sing certainly can be.

Gray Catbird Plus Blooming Hound’s Tongue Photos

By |2022-06-18T18:19:46-05:00June 9th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoyed my time yesterday morning photographing the Gray Catbird and the Hound's Tongue in bloom but I really wish I had been as happy with my catbird photos as I am the wildflower images.

Some of the Birds That People Love to Hate

By |2024-04-19T04:49:37-05:00March 11th, 2018|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Ravens, Double-crested Cormorants, European Starlings, Fish Crows, Florida, House Sparrows, Laughing Gulls, Mallards|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Okay, that is enough for now, there are more birds that people love to hate but I can only deal with so much of it before I feel the need to get out and photograph all the birds I see, even those that other people despise.

Looking For The First Of The Year Sage Thrashers To Arrive

By |2021-03-07T10:19:07-06:00March 9th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can barely wait to see my first Sage Thrasher of the year warming up on a rock in front of the Great Salt Lake, scurrying along on the ground, perched on top of sage or rabbitbrush singing or displaying.

Go to Top