Brewer’s Blackbirds
Brewer's Blackbirds may not be the most well known of the Blackbird family; I am fairly certain that the Red-winged Blackbirds have that claim to fame, but they are beautiful and interesting subjects to photograph.
Chukars And Fighting For The Right To Mate
The behavior of the Chukars indicates that the males are already acting territorial and fighting for the right to mate.
Raccoon On The Mudflats
When I lived in Florida I saw Raccoons (Procyon lotor) all over the state. In the wild, the not so wild and in the streets of the cities. But that isn't how it is in Utah.
American Oystercatcher Feeding
I've always liked this photo because it shows how this American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) is using its long bill to pry open a shell.
Chukars in Western Habitat
Chukars are not native to North America, they were introduced as game birds and in some areas they have thrived, one of those locations is Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah.
California Gull On A Windy Day
This California Gull in flight was being buffeted by the wind, I had trouble keeping my lens steady because of it too.
Richardson’s Ground Squirrels
Farmers don't like Richardson's Ground Squirrels much, they dig holes that could break the legs on livestock and eat grains and the shoots of plants, I can understand those concerns. But I have to say... I love them, they are fun to watch and photograph.
Prairie Falcon ~ The Fun Keeps Going
I have had an amazing time photographing Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus) since last fall. Since the ducks are no longer near the causeway to Antelope Island I have had a more difficult time locating them because they are now searching for their normal winter diet of Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks which are found more "inland" on the island.
Birds and Bison
Certain species of birds ride on the backs of Bison and feed on the insects they find in the Bison's fur; European Starlings are among those birds.
Franklin’s Gulls ~ Feeding Frenzy
Last year while I was camping and photographing at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I saw a feeding frenzy that involved Franklin's and California Gulls in the flooded grasses and Sagebrush flats near the Lower Lake.
Red-winged Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds are birds that I associate with spring, the males begin calling perched on top of reeds, cattails, grasses and shrubs and flash their brightly colored coverts to attract a mate.
Piping Plover – Down & Dirty
Piping Plovers nest in shallow scrapes in sand, gravel, salt flats or dunes which leaves their nests vulnerable to predators and in danger of being accidentally stepped on.
Great Blue Heron in Low Light
The sun had not yet crested the eastern horizon when I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it hunted in the shallow waters on the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.
Western Meadowlark lift off ~ Feathers on Friday
It was real slow for bird photography out on Antelope Island this morning but I did get a nice lift off shot from this Western Meadowlark.
Common Raven in flight
Ravens have always appealed to me even though some people might consider them "plain black birds". One of the reason I like them so much is that they are very smart and among the most intelligent birds in the world.
Reddish Egret Hunting
While I lived in Florida I simply adored being able to photograph Reddish Egrets, they can be graceful or goofy looking, they twirl, dash and dance.
Horned Lark Eating Sunflower Seeds
Yesterday I was delighted to be able to photograph this male Horned Lark perched high on dried sunflower seed heads as it ate.
American Oystercatchers Feeding
I was laying down in the wet sand with my lens about an inch from the surface of the beach when I photographed these shorebirds, one needs to watch out for those rogue waves because they don't only wash away the bird's prey... they can soak your lens & camera too!
Another Western Meadowlark From Today
I couldn't resist posting another Western Meadowlark image that I created today even though I posted one earlier this morning.
Western Meadowlarks And Spring
Tis the season of changes, for a bit it acts like winter and soon switches to act like spring. . The flute like call of Western Meadowlarks is a sound I associate with spring and lately I have been hearing them quite often.
Bananaquit In The Bahamas
I photographed this adult Bananaquit while on the island of Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. The island was full of these birds.
Pine Siskins
While exploring the area and it's breath taking beauty I spotted a large flock of Pine Siskins feeding on the seedheads of Mule Ears (Wyethia amplexicaulis).
Double-crested Cormorant – Friday Photos
Double-crested Cormorants are the most widespread of North American cormorants where they are found in salt and freshwater habitats.
Ferruginous Hawk in Tooele County, Utah
There aren't many people in the west desert of Utah thus the raptors and other birds that live there are not habituated to people so they are very skittish even when using a mobile blind.
Female American Kestrel Eating A Vole (Graphic)
There are times when photographs speak for themselves, they tell a story or show behavior and with my bird and wildlife photography they also show the natural cycle of life. These images may be gruesome for some to view but they show this falcon's natural behavior quite well.
Greater Yellowlegs
Obtaining a low angle with small shorebirds can bring the viewer into the birds world by being down to their level. When I photographed shorebirds in Florida I was either constantly covered in sand or mud, wet or all three.
American Oystercatcher
This American Oystercatcher image was taken nearly three years ago, it seems difficult to believe that is has been that long but I like it as much today as the morning I photographed it.
American Coots – Birds To Rail About
American Coots are the most widely distributed members of the Rail family in North America and are very abundant in habitats with open water.
Mourning Dove
After I published my article titled Wild and Wonderful - Antelope Island - The Birds earlier this week I realized I didn't include any images of the doves found on the island so today I thought I would post a Mourning Dove.
Merlin Perched In A Tree ~ Friday Photos
Merlins are winter visitors in the Salt Lake Valley so I have just a few more weeks to attempt photographing them. Merlins are used to be called "pigeon hawks" because their shape and flight patterns are similar to pigeons.