Wasatch Mountain Canyon Cedar Waxwing With A Cloudy Sky Background
I pulled over to the left side of the road after I passed the bush and the bird and I succeeded in getting the Cedar Waxwing in fairly good light with a cloudy sky background.
Are Great Blue Herons Breeding at Higher Elevations Due to Climate Change?
I'm wondering now if Great Blue Herons here in Utah might already be adapting to climate change by moving higher up into the mountain valleys and canyons that have suitable food and water supplies to breed and nest.
Unexpected Fledgling Short-eared Owl Rescue Mission
Yesterday I planned to stay home to try to get caught up on the many things that are on my plate and to stay out of the heat but unbeknownst to me that plan was going to change at 6:31 in the morning and that I would soon be on a rescue mission.
Gray Catbirds with Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Berries
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!
Landing Broad-tailed Hummingbird Male Displaying His Colorful Gorget
Knowing that this is a favorite perch has given me opportunities I might have missed if I hadn't been paying attention to the behavior of this tiny Broad-tailed Hummingbird since their arrival this spring.
Portraits of Mule Deer in Willows
I haven't photographed Mule Deer in a while so when I saw a pair of them in willows next to a creek last week I felt I had to take their photos, especially because of all the lush greenery that surrounded them.
Trio of Gray Catbird Photos – They are the Cat’s Meow
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.
Male Northern Yellow Warblers Singing, Eating And Looking Around
Spending time photographing Northern Yellow Warblers can try the patience of even the most patient photographer because they are so flighty, small and move quickly but it can also be rewarding when you get photos that you like.
Beautiful Swallows and the Ugly Sack of Crap
The sack of crap was open, it doesn't matter to me if they left it open or if a critter opened it but that sack of crap was what was attracting the Northern Rough-winged Swallows and photos of these birds with dog waste shouldn't exist, yet now they do.
Focusing On Photographing Juvenile Mountain Bluebirds
Luck was on my side when I found the family of Mountain Bluebirds in good light plus they were close enough to take quality photos of them, first the male then the female and the juveniles.
Adult Cedar Waxwing Photographed From A Distance
Even though this adult Cedar Waxwing is small in the frame because I photographed it from quite a distance it is one of my favorite images taken in the Wasatch Mountains four days ago.
Photographing a Barn Swallow in the Wasatch Mountains with my Mom
While these Barn Swallow photos aren't million dollar shots the experiences I shared with my mother while we photographed this bird together are worth everything to me.
Aspen Eyes – Where Trees Appear To Gaze At The World Around Them
I love seeing the Aspen eyes of the forest upon me and I find myself happy to photograph them whenever I can.
Blooming Showy Milkweed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Showy Milkweeds are an important source of nectar for butterflies, especially Monarch Butterflies who not only use them as a nectar source but also use them for laying their eggs on and as a larval host.
Sagebrush Country & Short-eared Owls
I see and photograph Short-eared Owls in Sagebrush Country quite often. I spend a lot of time in areas where there is sagebrush dotting the desert, steppes and hillsides here in Utah and I find these amazing owls there.
Nesting Cedar Waxwings – Photographing Them Is A Challenge
I've been photographing nesting Cedar Waxwings and I have to say that it tests my skills and is a true challenge because of the light, how quickly these birds move and the cluttered habitat.
Photographing Turkey Vultures On A June Morning
As a bird photographer I have found that it is easy to make any species of owl look interesting and appealing in my images but it is more of a challenge to do that with Turkey Vultures but that doesn't mean I don't try. I will always try.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow In A Wasatch Mountain Canyon
Of the photos that I took that morning I liked this one Rough-winged Swallow the most because I could see its entire body while the other swallow had the out of focus perch in front of the body of the bird.
Female Mountain Bluebird From A Distance And Up Close
After a bit the female Mountain Bluebird did something surprising... She flew in so close that I could only take close ups of her as she appeared to forage at the edge of the dirt road.
Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Defending His Favorite Perch
The male Broad-tailed Hummingbird lifted off from the perch so I pre-focused on it, listened for him to come back then when I heard the bird get close to the perch I fired off a burst of shots and captured him in a landing position with the vivid color of his gorget showing
Gray Catbird Plus Blooming Hound’s Tongue Photos
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.
Male Red-naped Sapsucker Close Ups – Too Much Glass
I spotted a flash of black, white and red as a bird landed in the aspen tree that was closest to me above where the wrens and swallows are nesting and realized that a male Red-naped Sapsucker had flown in and was foraging for food in the buds of the aspen.
Mountain Goldenbanner In The Wasatch Mountains – Yellow Wildflowers
Three days ago there was some Mountain Goldenbanner blooming next to a creek in the canyons of the Wasatch Mountains and I simply had to take some photos of these bright yellow wildflowers.
Chipping Sparrow With Nesting Materials In The Uinta Mountains
While photographing some Pine Siskins that were foraging and gathering nesting materials I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and spotted a Chipping Sparrow with nesting materials in its bill.
First Spring Male Lazuli Bunting Singing In A Chokecherry Tree
That sighting with my Mom made me hope that I would see more Lazuli Buntings in the canyons, yesterday morning that hope was fulfilled when I spotted a first spring male fly into a blooming Chokecherry tree.
Male Short-eared Owl Perched on a Ranch Access Only Sign
I saw and photographed numerous Short-eared Owls yesterday in northern Utah but this photo of a male perched on a "Ranch Access Only" sign was my favorite of the day.
Nesting Tree Swallows in the High Uintas
While I photographed nesting House Wrens in the High Uintas the last day of May I also photographed nesting Tree Swallows in the same Aspen tree in a cavity a bit lower on the trunk.
Photographing Nesting Northern House Wrens in the High Uintas
Two days ago I spent time photographing nesting Northern House Wrens in the high Uintas near Mirror Lake Highway, of interest to me is that two years ago I photographed Red-naped Sapsuckers using this same nesting cavity.
Close Up Photos Of A Bull Moose In Velvet Eating Willows
I laughed again when I saw this photo on my camera LCD, the Moose was reaching to grab more willow leaves but was also keeping an eye on me in the mobile blind while his "beard" swung like the clapper of a bell.
Green-tailed Towhee Perched On A Blooming Utah Serviceberry
I spent some time up in the canyons of the Wasatch Mountains yesterday photographing the birds I found including this handsome Green-tailed Towhee perched on a blooming Utah Serviceberry.