Box Elder County

Loggerhead Shrike At Bear River MBR

By |2021-12-16T06:08:26-06:00December 16th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my last trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I found this Loggerhead Shrike perched on a twig near the end of the auto tour loop.

Female Hooded Merganser Lifting Off From The Bear River

By |2021-12-10T05:31:06-06:00December 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted a single female Hooded Merganser on the Bear River two days ago and photographed her as she ran on top of the water to lift off.

Late Clark’s Grebe Plus A Rough-legged Hawk On A One Way Sign

By |2021-12-09T05:30:25-06:00December 9th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found and pointed out a few birds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge including a very late Clark's Grebe I spotted from the auto tour route.

Merlin On A Large Wooden Post At Bear River MBR

By |2021-12-07T05:48:47-06:00December 7th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I spotted a Merlin perched on a large wooden post way out in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

Adult Rough-legged Hawk Calling Plus Photos Of A Younger Roughie

By |2021-12-06T05:11:44-06:00December 6th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I heard a male Rough-legged Hawk calling which is highly unusual away from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra and taiga of the far north.

American Pipits In My Viewfinder

By |2021-12-05T04:54:33-06:00December 5th, 2021|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been seeing and hearing American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.

Help With Drake Scaup Identification

By |2021-11-28T06:26:25-06:00November 28th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Scaups, Lesser Scaups, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every fall and winter when Lesser and Greater Scaups are seen in northern Utah I hear questions about scaup identification.

Ruddy Ducks In Flight

By |2021-11-24T06:00:41-06:00November 24th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago I saw someone say that they rarely saw photos of Ruddy Ducks in flight and I remembered I had a series of them flying past taken 11 years ago.

Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off With Prey

By |2023-05-05T10:06:04-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spotted this dark morph Red-tailed Hawk high on a cliff and I was able to photograph him as he lifted off with prey in his talons.

Loggerhead Shrike On A Wild Rose In Front of The Dying Great Salt Lake

By |2021-11-16T06:10:13-06:00November 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Had I taken these Loggerhead Shrike photos four to five years ago the background wouldn't have been dry lake bed. It would have shown water. Precious, life-giving water.

Focusing On Fall Wild Turkey Tom Photos

By |2021-11-15T05:16:16-06:00November 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning the first birds I focused on taking photos of were Wild Turkey toms as they displayed for each other on desert ranchlands in northern Utah.

Well Crap – Another Cloudy Day

By |2021-10-27T05:21:43-05:00October 27th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I selected this hatch year Great Blue Heron photo to share today because it showed the young bird taking a crap on the flats of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah

By |2021-10-23T05:47:36-05:00October 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.

Immature White-crowned Sparrow Photos In Fall

By |2021-10-20T05:25:57-05:00October 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was way up north in Box Elder County three days ago I had the opportunity to take immature White-crowned Sparrow photos with fall colors in the frames.

Fall Wild Turkey Hen Foraging On Desert Ranchlands

By |2021-10-19T05:47:35-05:00October 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first photos I took with my newly refurbished Nikon D500 with a new shutter assembly were of this Wild Turkey hen foraging on desert ranchlands.

Dark and light morph Red-tailed Hawk Photos

By |2021-10-09T06:00:23-05:00October 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I almost missed finding this adult dark morph Red-tailed Hawk last Sunday because when I first spotted the hawk he was behind a tree in dark shadows but I recognized the shape and form of the raptor.

Phragmites Fix Or Fail At Bear River MBR?

By |2023-11-10T09:51:12-06:00October 5th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Conservation, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Phragmites fix or fail? I think my photos through the years provide the answer.

Autumn Townsend’s Solitaire Plus Snow In The 10 Day Forecast

By |2021-10-04T05:20:05-05:00October 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found quite a few birds yesterday in far northern Utah and of all the photos I took this autumn Townsend's Solitaire was my favorite.

Two Mule Deer Bucks In The Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |2021-09-30T05:32:50-05:00September 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Mule Deer, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Monday morning I saw a group of three Mule Deer bucks slowly moving through tall vegetation in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly And Rabbitbrush

By |2021-09-29T06:40:33-05:00September 29th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Clouded Sulphur Butterflies, Shrubs, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I got lucky at one rabbitbrush when I found a Clouded Sulphur butterfly nectaring on what I believe is a Rubber Rabbitbrush.

Immature Black-crowned Night Heron In Marsh Habitat

By |2021-09-28T05:02:22-05:00September 28th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nearly hidden in the marsh vegetation was an immature Black-crowned Night Heron perched on some phrags at the edge of the water.

Immature Light Morph Red-tailed Hawk Plus A Dark Morph Adult

By |2021-09-19T05:36:07-05:00September 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted the light colored breast of this immature light morph Red-tailed Hawk from a distance it seemed to glow in the morning light.

Late Summer Turkey Vulture And Common Sunflowers

By |2021-09-16T05:29:32-05:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I found an adult Turkey Vulture perched on a metal pipe with a field of sunflowers below and it behind it. I liked the pop of yellow in my photos of this bird.

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