Burrowing Owls – Friday Photos
I've selected a few Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) images taken a few years ago to post today.
Willet Resting In A Spartina Marsh
The image above was taken at Fort De Soto on Florida's Gulf coast. The Willets there are habituated to people and because they are it is easier to approach them than it is here in Utah.
Almost – Golden Eagle in flight
Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have thus far been a nemesis bird for me and when I spotted one yesterday I thought I might finally get the shots I have long wanted.
Loggerhead Shrike Perched On Moth Mullein
I've been seeing more and more Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) pairing up the past week or so which means it won't be long before they are on their nests.
Lesson Learned – Beyond The Viewfinder
Had I not seen that moving, tan blob beyond my viewfinder I could have easily missed being able to create these Chukar images. Sure, I have hundreds (if not thousands) of Chukar images but I am always looking for different poses, light conditions and settings to photograph my subjects in and this worked out very well.
Yellow-headed Blackbirds – Friday Photos
Yellow-headed Blackbirds have begun to show up in large numbers in my area of the country. I'm seeing them perched on cattails, phragmites and in flight.
Bald Eagles In Northern Utah
Normally during the month of February Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area has hundreds of Bald Eagles within its boundaries but that was not the case in February 2012.
Canada Goose on Glover’s Pond
Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are common in my area and I often overlook taking images of them because of that. I really shouldn't though because they are beautiful birds.
Side Lit Coyote On Antelope Island State Park
I wanted to take some photos of the Coyote because I liked the rim lighting on the right side of the Coyote's neck, muzzle and ears.
White-faced Ibis in flight
White-faced Ibises (Plegadis chihi) breed and nest in the freshwater marshes around the Great Salt Lake. Generally they migrate south for the winter though this winter there were a few that stayed at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Mountain Bluebird Male
How blue can blue be? I think Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoide) males are a wonderful example of just how blue a bird can be.
Northern Harrier in flight
Just an image I took yesterday of this male Northern Harrier in flight. As simple as the image is I like the great eye contact it has.
American White Pelican In Flight
Not far from where I live there is a small pond where I photographed this American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) just after it had lifted off from the water two springs ago.
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.