bird photography

An adult Swainson’s Hawk and its young in Montana

By |2021-03-31T16:27:22-05:00January 11th, 2014|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can barely wait until spring when the Swainson's Hawks will migrate back from South America to fill the skies here with their beauty.

Eye level with a Northern Harrier

By |2016-12-07T12:10:20-06:00January 6th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I have been a bird photographer for some time now I still get a thrill when I am eye level with a bird of prey because it feels as if I am more strongly connected to the raptor when they fly in close at eye level.

Great Blue Heron’s Gift

By |2021-04-17T19:13:00-05:00January 5th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In January in Florida the Great Blue Herons are already going into breeding plumage and have begun courtship displays and have started building their nests.

Song Sparrow foraging on a cold winter morning

By |2021-06-12T11:44:41-05:00December 30th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

While photographing Barn Owls last January I caught a small movement out of the corner of my eye and noticed a Song Sparrow foraging for seeds on the snow covered ground.

Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana

By |2021-09-20T04:15:49-05:00December 29th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Glacier County, Montana, Short-eared Owls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago I photographed this male Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana on a fence post on the perimeter of some CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land on an August evening.

Female Northern Harrier in flight at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area

By |2021-11-24T03:52:56-06:00December 11th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

While I was photographing some ducks and grebes yesterday I spotted this female Northern Harrier in flight coming in from the south and when she flew over the water I was able to get a series of images of her against the sky.

Female American Kestrel and an American Pipit’s demise

By |2024-01-07T17:49:01-06:00December 9th, 2013|Categories: American Kestrels, American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I normally see American Kestrels with voles as prey but seeing her with the American Pipit once again showed me why American Kestrels used to be called Sparrow Hawks which is why some people probably still use that name.

Gotta love those shorebirds – Semipalmated Plover

By |2016-12-07T12:10:27-06:00December 2nd, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Semipalmated Plovers|Tags: , , , , , |

I photographed this Semipalmated Plover as it foraged along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida in 2008 while I laid flat on the wet sand getting soaked as the waves pushed onto the shore around the sand bar in the distance.

Red-tailed Hawk adult at Farmington Bay WMA

By |2022-10-04T05:38:45-05:00November 16th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I was happy that I found this adult Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA and that it did lift off after a bit because as handsome as they can be perched they are even more beautiful On The Wing.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk and Photoshop

By |2022-10-04T05:34:44-05:00November 14th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wouldn't license this Red-tailed Hawk image for print because it has been altered but I like the image without the wires.

Displaying Sandwich Terns in low light

By |2016-12-07T12:10:30-06:00November 13th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Sandwich Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

These Sandwich Terns were courting early one morning at Fort De Soto's north beach and even though the light wasn't "sweet" I felt their courtship behavior was interesting.

Red-tailed Hawks – Mates for Life

By |2022-07-13T06:48:30-05:00November 8th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For several years now I have been observing and photographing a mated pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana that have a favorite perch that I often see them on.

Black-bellied Plover on a tidal mudflat

By |2016-12-07T12:10:32-06:00November 1st, 2013|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love the light and the mudflat setting I photographed this Black-bellied Plover in on a warm April morning in Florida several years ago.

Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Montana

By |2021-07-01T03:44:32-05:00October 29th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This past September I spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a rocky canyon wall as it looked out over the cold waters of Elk Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana.

Calliope Hummingbird and Rocky Mountain Bee Plant

By |2017-06-29T08:37:52-05:00October 23rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Calliope Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Just a quick post this morning of a tiny Calliope Hummingbird feeding on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant that I photographed at the end of August.

Young Great Horned Owl is a Tiger of the Sky in the making

By |2024-03-05T09:21:06-06:00October 17th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Glacier County, Great Horned Owls, Montana|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love the descriptive name "Tiger of the Sky" when referring to Great Horned Owls, they are fierce, fearless and ferocious and the young owl in the image above is a 'Tiger in the Sky" in the making.

A dark juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

By |2022-10-04T05:41:00-05:00October 16th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Quite often I don't have much time at all to get ready to take images because you need to get close to the subject, find a good angle of light and make sure your camera settings will produce the best image for the conditions.

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