Birds that I find in the field, photograph and share the stories behind the images.
Female Blackpoll Warbler
I photographed this female Blackpoll Warbler by the parking lot at Fort De Soto's north beach in 2009 during migration.
Appearing Soon – Rough-legged Hawks
Last winter was awesome for seeing Rough-legged Hawks and I am hoping they had another great breeding season and that they will show up here in large numbers to over winter.
Sandwich Tern In Flight With Prey
This image Sandwich Tern was taken at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach several years ago, it was a breezy, very warm day and there were schools of baitfish running just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ring-billed Gull On The Wing
Yesterday I had a bit of fun photographing this Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, I love the snowy whites these gulls exhibit in their plumage year round
American Coots on Thin Ice
The temps are dropping here in the Salt Lake Valley, two days ago it was below freezing when we went out shooting. Winter brings challenges and birds we don't see during the summer so I am excited about that.
Reddish Egret Flying Over The Dunes
Just a very simple image today of a Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) flying over some sand dunes.
You’ll Never Know Unless You Go
Kind a of a crazy title but it is a mantra that I live by when it comes to my bird and nature photography. It simply means that unless I go out shooting I won't know what I am missing.
Eastern And Western Willets In Breeding Plumage
I've had the good fortune to photograph both the eastern and western Willets in breeding plumage, the eastern in Florida and the western in Utah and Montana.
Adult and Immature White Ibis
This is an adult White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) that I photographed at Fort De Soto's north beach that was feeding in a tidal lagoon by the mangroves
Horned Lark On A Poopy Perch
Most of the Horned Larks I photograph are perched on rocks or boulders, this one is perched on a dried pile of Bison poop. Some might think this is a crappy perch and they would be right!
Birds, Beasts and Bits About Me – My 500th Blog Post
Wow, this is my 500th blog post and it has been great fun to share my images and the stories behind them. I thought I'd share a few images and bits about my thoughts on photography.
California Gull – The Chase is On
While my mother was visiting Utah she was able to see how California Gulls chase and feed on Brine Flies, it is fascinating feeding behavior. As my mom watched, I photographed.
Adult Black-necked Stilt
Just a simple image of a male Black-necked Stilt taken earlier this year at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge. Very graceful birds.
Red-tailed Hawk Delight
I had another great day with juvenile Red-tailed Hawks on Antelope Island State Park last week.
Dusky Grouse Male – Francis Peak
Near the summit of Francis Peak, elevation 9,560 feet, I spotted this Dusky Grouse male on the edge of a gravel road with a steep drop off to the west and I was able to get a few photographs of it before we motioned to a pickup truck coming down from the summit to move forward.
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow – Very Small in the Frame
Normally I wouldn't take or present an image where the subject is as small in the frame as this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is but I couldn't resist because I like this image a lot.
Marbled Godwit In A Tidal Lagoon
Just a single image of a Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) that strolled past me while I sat in the water photographing it. Every time I look at this image I feel a wonderful sense of peace, the same feeling I had when I took this photo.
Lazuli Buntings Near The San Rafael River
I have enjoyed photographing Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) near the San Rafael River at the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area. These images were taken in the spring when the males were high on perches singing to attract females.
American Oystercatchers in Florida
I don't get to see or photograph Oystercatchers here in Utah but I still dream about these shorebirds and can hear their calls when I look at the thousands of images I took of them.
Curlew On The Rocks
This was a life bird for my mother and I am glad she was able to see it strolling among the rocks on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake while I photographed the curlew last week.
Low Light Juvenile Prairie Falcon
One foggy morning last December I spotted this juvenile Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) perched on a frost-covered rock on the causeway to Antelope Island SP with the Great Salt Lake in the background.
Female Yellow-headed Blackbird
Male Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) are flashy birds but I believe the females have a subtle beauty too.
The Osprey VS the Black-billed Magpie
In May of this year I camped at Antelope Flat in the Flaming Gorge National recreation Area and near the boat ramp there was an Osprey nest.
Black-bellied Plovers in Breeding and Nonbreeding Plumage
Black-bellied Plovers in breeding and nonbreeding plumage can look like two different plover species but they aren't.
Male Short-eared Owl in low light
I don't always get what I want though; for example, I wanted this male Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) I photographed at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana in good light.
Western Meadowlark About To Fly
This Western Meadowlark was about to take off from the boulder it was on when I photographed it on Wednesday.
Tricolored Heron In Seafoam
I photographed this Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) a few years ago when I still lived in Florida.
4 Years Ago Today When Hurricane Ike Stirred Things Up At Fort De Soto
Four years ago today Hurricane Ike was out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and the waves that it generated made a strong splash at Fort De Soto County Park.
Resting Black Skimmer Juvenile – My Banner Image
Several people have remarked on how much they like the resting Black Skimmer juvenile image that was in my rotating banner at the top of this blog so I thought I would post it to show the whole bird.
Caspian Terns
Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) are North America's largest tern with a wingspan of 50 inches and weighing in at 1.4 pounds.