Birds

Birds that I find in the field, photograph and share the stories behind the images.

Murmuration Of European Starlings On The Wing

By |2023-12-16T03:55:57-06:00December 16th, 2023|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wasn't the only person who noticed the huge murmuration of European Starlings at my local pond yesterday morning; other people stopped and admired them too.

Western Meadowlark And A Windy Morning At Bear River MBR

By |2023-12-14T04:31:13-06:00December 14th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Video, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't photograph many birds at Bear River MBR yesterday because it was windy. I did take photos of this handsome Western Meadowlark at the refuge though.

Juniper Titmouse Photos In Utah

By |2023-12-13T04:24:05-06:00December 13th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Juniper Titmouses, Mercur Canyon, Simpson Springs, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I have taken Juniper Titmouse images, this titmouse species is still a bit of a nemesis bird for me. I just don't see them as much as I would like.

Immature Female Northern Harrier

By |2023-12-12T05:20:01-06:00December 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Environment, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Habitat, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am sharing three photos of an immature female Northern Harrier that I took ten years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

Bird Talk: American White Pelicans

By |2023-12-11T06:21:22-06:00December 11th, 2023|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My subject today is about bird talk: American White Pelicans, my friend Adonis, and his recent first trip back East, and to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Drake Common Goldeneye Landing

By |2023-12-10T04:22:49-06:00December 10th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today, I am sharing a simple photo of a drake Common Goldeneye coming in to land on my local pond early in the morning. I took this image a few days ago.

Red-breasted And White-breasted Nuthatch Photos

By |2024-04-28T05:26:46-05:00December 9th, 2023|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Salt Lake County, Sebastian County, Utah, White-breasted Nuthatches|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm sharing a Red-breasted Nuthatch photo taken in my yard in Utah, plus a White-breasted Nuthatch image taken in Steve Creek's yard in Arkansas this morning.

California Gull In Winter Plumage

By |2024-01-13T04:10:07-06:00December 8th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I was happy to photograph this California Gull in winter plumage that had just landed on the water.

Plastic Netting Will Kill This Pied-billed Grebe

By |2023-12-07T06:10:27-06:00December 7th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Environment, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Plastic netting will kill this Pied-billed Grebe unless myself or someone else can capture the grebe and remove the netting. The grebe will starve to death.

Another Scrub-Jay Name Change in 2024

By |2023-12-05T04:38:31-06:00December 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ophir Canyon, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Lately, I've been wondering what the new name for the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay species, that I photograph here in Utah, will be when it is changed in 2024.

Immature Pied-billed Grebe Being Chased And Other Grebe Behaviors

By |2023-12-02T03:51:38-06:00December 2nd, 2023|Categories: Pied-billed Grebes, San Juan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week, I photographed an immature Pied-billed Grebe being chased by an adult at my local pond. I observed some other interesting grebe behaviors as well.

Bring On The Snow!

By |2023-12-01T04:51:27-06:00December 1st, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Dark-eyed Juncos, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Ring-billed Gulls, Ring-necked Pheasants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Snow is supposed to start falling around 10 a.m. where I live in northern Utah. It might be the first significant snowfall of this winter down in the valley.

My Uncommon Common Grackle Sighting Anniversary

By |2023-11-30T16:16:18-06:00November 30th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Grackles, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is the third anniversary of my uncommon Common Grackle sighting in Utah. I found the grackle perched in a Russian Olive tree next to Glover Pond.

Frosty Northern Harrier In Utah

By |2023-11-29T04:39:08-06:00November 29th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo of a frosty Northern Harrier was taken almost five years ago. Although the harrier is small in the frame, I still find the image visually appealing.

First Of Season Common Goldeneye

By |2023-11-28T04:33:03-06:00November 28th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago, I found my first-of-season Common Goldeneye drake at my local pond. I didn't have my camera with me, so I wasn't able to photograph him.

Winter Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By |2023-11-27T04:28:58-06:00November 27th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While going through my archives this morning, I found this photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron in flight. It was taken in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA in 2021.

Canada Geese In Falling Snow

By |2023-11-25T03:52:03-06:00November 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I desperately needed a bird break so I went down to my local pond. While I was there I photographed Canada Geese and American Coots in falling snow.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T04:42:58-06:00November 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today, I found this gorgeous dark morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a juniper fence post in the West Desert. I spotted it from about a mile away.

Fall Redhead Drake Photos

By |2023-11-23T04:00:29-06:00November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On a cold morning two days ago, I had two Redhead drakes in my viewfinder at my local pond. the light was lovely and so were the ducks.

Drake Hooded Merganser Memory

By |2023-11-21T04:45:56-06:00November 21st, 2023|Categories: Birds, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Once upon a chilly December evening, I had a blast photographing a stunning drake Hooded Merganser in gorgeous light at an urban pond close to home.

My Solitaire Common Name Change Recommendation

By |2023-11-20T05:02:29-06:00November 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2024, the common name for Townsend's Solitaire will change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.

Autumn Snipe Photos And Common Name Changes

By |2023-11-17T12:13:02-06:00November 17th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wilson's Snipes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last time I visited Bear River MBR, I took quite a few photos of Wilson's Snipes. I also wondered what the new name for this snipe species will soon be.

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