Birds

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

Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating

By |May 26th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.

Tree Swallows Nesting In The Uinta Mountains

By |May 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.

One Spring Morning When Yellow-rumped Warblers Dripped From Trees

By |May 23rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost one year ago I spent my morning photographing so many Yellow-rumped Warblers that they seemed to almost drip from the trees.

Searching And Listening For Cedar Waxwings

By |May 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every time I've gone up into the Wasatch Mountains lately I have been searching and listening for Cedar Waxwings to observe and photograph.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Male Hovering Below Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Flowers

By |May 21st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Of the hundred or so images I took of the male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds in that small and very windy area I only liked this one photo.

Wet Swainson’s Hawk In A Storm

By |May 19th, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Montana, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This adult male Swainson's Hawk was perched near his nest in a light rain and although he looked soaking wet that didn't appear to bother him much at all.

Focusing On House Wrens

By |May 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Morgan County, Northern House Wrens, 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.

Photographing A Foraging American Oystercatcher In The First Light Of Dawn

By |May 16th, 2020|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The soft light of dawn has a special quality to it and I believe that it is evident in both of these American Oystercatcher photos.

Female Yellow Warbler Foraging In A Hawthorn Tree

By |May 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight days ago I photographed my first male Yellow Warbler of the year and two days ago I had some luck with my first females of the season.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird In A Strong Breeze Plus A Favorite Perch

By |May 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird had had enough of getting bounced around he took off in a hurry with the wind fluffing up his upper chest feathers and the right side of his colorful gorget.

What An Odd Mother’s Day But It Is Mother’s Day Nonetheless

By |May 10th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I opted to go back in time to a "normal" Mother's Day by pulling a Black-bellied Plover photo from my archives that was taken on Mother's Day in 2009.

First Of Season Male Yellow Warbler Photo

By |May 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I was able to take my first of season Yellow Warbler photos when a male came up close to where I sat in my Jeep in a high mountain canyon.

Female Broad-Tailed Hummingbird Feeding, Hovering And Resting

By |May 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago I photographed my first of the season Broad-tailed Hummingbird and I was elated that the bird was a female.

One Bad Mama Mountain Bluebird And Her Swiss Army Knife

By |May 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.

Female MacGillivray’s Warbler Perched In A Blooming Serviceberry

By |May 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This female MacGillivray’s Warbler popped into view briefly two years ago high in the Wasatch Mountains and even though she never came out into the open I enjoyed how she was surrounded by the white blooms of a Utah Serviceberry.

Green-tailed Towhees Are Migrating Into Utah

By |May 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I "whooped" out loud when I spotted my first of the year Green-tailed Towhee singing as he perched in top of a sagebrush.

Nesting Northern Flickers Provide Nests For Other Birds

By |May 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 |April 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds, Northern House Wrens, 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. 

Migrating Yellow Warblers Have Returned

By |April 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago my pulse quickened when I saw and heard my first of the season Yellow Warblers while looking for birds to photograph high up in the Wasatch Mountains.

Vesper Sparrows In Spring

By |April 28th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this month I spotted my first of year Vesper Sparrow way up north in Box Elder County and since then I have been looking for them closer to home in the Wasatch Mountains.

Wax Currants, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds And Their Favorite Perches

By |April 27th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Summit County, Tooele County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In just a matter of days Wax Currants will start to bloom in some of the lower elevations of the mountains that aren't far from where I live and that has me excited.

Focusing On Belted Kingfishers High In The Wasatch Mountains

By |April 25th, 2020|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent yesterday morning high up in the Wasatch Mountains where part of the time I focused on photographing the Belted Kingfishers that I found in two counties.

Red-breasted Nuthatch And Juniper Titmouse Photos

By |April 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Juniper Titmouses, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These are the stories behind how I took these Red-breasted Nuthatch and Juniper Titmouse photos while relaxing and enjoying a lovely day in the West Desert.

Adult Male American Avocet Stretching His Wings

By |April 20th, 2020|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Six years ago in early April I went to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and photographed this male American Avocet stretching his wings while his head was low to the water.

Male Burrowing Owl At His Burrow Plus Waking To An Empty Amber Alert

By |April 19th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I spent time photographing an adult male Burrowing Owl at his burrow that was surrounded by Redstem Filaree, a pink wildflower.

Finding Wild Turkey Hens Roosting In Aspens

By |April 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.

Go to Top