Cooper’s Hawk & European Starling Encounter
Then the noise suddenly stopped and I saw the silhouette of a European Starling fly out of the tree with the Cooper's Hawk hot on its tail, literally.
Portrait Of A First Spring Male Northern Harrier In Northern Utah
It isn't often that I am able to be close enough to a Northern Harrier to take a portrait of one, in fact I can only think of one time that I've been that fortunate and that was in May of 2016.
Peek-a-boo Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay WMA
Why did it make me laugh and smile? Because it looks like the Rough-legged Hawk might have been playing peek-a-boo as it looked towards me through its wingtips.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk at East Canyon State Park
I was able to photograph two immature Red-tailed Hawks at East Canyon State Park and the photos I am sharing today are of the first one that I found.
Red-tailed Hawk In Morning Light – Wasatch Mountains In The Shadows
Yesterday morning for a few moments I had one of those opportunities with a Red-tailed Hawk perched on top of some trees in East Canyon where the mountains in the background where still in the shadows and because of that the bird seemed to glow.
Happy HOwloween
Does this Short-eared Owl chick with bright yellow eyes look scary to you? It sure doesn't to me.
Male American Kestrel Turning In Flight – Small In The Frame
While I would have enjoyed having this male American Kestrel closer to me as it turned in flight than it was yesterday morning I found that I liked this frame with the tiny falcon turning in flight being small in the frame too.
Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Northern Utah
By this time of the year Swainson's Hawks have left Utah and headed towards South America to their wintering grounds but the memories I have of the hawks never leave me.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk In Flight With The Colors Of Autumn
The more I have looked at this image over the past year the more I liked it for the flight pose, the look at the Red-tailed Hawk's plumage colors against those yellow leaves and somehow the poor lighting conditions became less significant to my eyes.
Late Summer Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk With The Colors Of Fall
I know, I could grumble about not being able to photograph the young Cooper's Hawk taking its prey down just feet away from my Jeep but you know what? Being there to see nature in action was enough for me.
Sibling Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles Perched & On The Wing
Back in March of this year I started watching and photographing a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the process of building their nest on the face of a high cliff, these two juveniles are the results of the hard work of that pair of hawks.
Sleepy, Yawning Juvenile Burrowing Owl
I'm a little like this sleepy juvenile Burrowing Owl this morning, I overslept, my coffee still hasn't kicked in, I'm yawning frequently and I am still sleepy.
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.
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.
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.
Fledgling Short-eared Owl Perched On A Tumbleweed – Two Years Ago Today
Two years ago today I had a fantastic time photographing Short-eared Owl fledglings on tumbleweeds that were in front a fence in northern Utah.
Spiral Jetty Earthwork Sculpture Plus Two Short-eared Owl Photos
I did do some bird photography yesterday on the way to the Spiral Jetty. I saw more than eight Short-eared Owls and I was able to photograph two of them as they perched on fence posts.
Male Short-eared Owl Showing His Ear Tufts
Most often I see the ear tufts of Short-eared Owls when they are on alert, when there is a wind blowing the tufts from behind the owl or when they appear curious about something they can see or hear.
Rufous Morph Red-tailed Hawk – Finally Some Photos in Good Light
I have been trying to photograph this rufous morph Red-tailed Hawk in good light since the first time I spotted her on the 24th of March in northern Utah, yesterday I finally accomplished that goal.
Male Northern Harrier Diving After Falling Prey – Paying Attention Beyond the Viewfinder
I was able to take these photos of the male Northern Harrier diving after his falling prey because I looked beyond my viewfinder and quickly locked onto the action happening overhead.
Surprise Cooper’s Hawk in the Wasatch Mountains
There are days when one bird can "make" the day great for me as a bird photographer, yesterday that bird was a Cooper's Hawk in a Wasatch Mountain canyon east of Salt Lake City.
Turkey Vultures aka Turkey Buzzards
I grew up calling Turkey Vultures by the name "Turkey Buzzards" and every once in a blue moon I still unintentionally slip and call them by their nickname instead of their proper common name.
Intermediate Morph Swainson’s Hawk In Flight
Last week I was able to photograph several Swainson's Hawks, some perched and others while in flight and of the flight photos I liked this photo the most because of the mountains in the background.
Female American Kestrel Lifting Off
The bird that was the most cooperative yesterday morning was a female American Kestrel that I spotted eating her prey on a lichen encrusted rock
Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk – Possibly The Darkest I Have Ever Seen
Just about one year ago I was thrilled to photograph a very cooperative dark morph Swainson's Hawk that is possibly the darkest, dark morph I have ever seen.
More Frustrations With Photographing Golden Eagles
I get absolutely tired of the frustrations I have had trying to photograph Golden Eagles, it seems that something or someone always messes with my chances of getting the images I want of them.
Celebrating Twenty-five Hundred Posts at On The Wing Photography
Today I am celebrating my 2500th post here at On The Wing Photography! I've been sharing my photography and the stories behind the images since 2010 here on my site and what a ride it has been.
Cooper’s Hawk With Prey Plus An Unintentional Blur Photo
It was a bitter cold January morning in 2016 when I photographed this Cooper's Hawk on prey that I found not far from where I live.
Photos Of Owls In Flight
I spend a lot of time in the field looking for, observing and photographing owls and obtaining photos of them in flight can often be frustrating when I have the opportunity but very fulfilling when I accomplish my goal.
I Would Love To Photograph THIS Red-tailed Hawk In Good Light Just Once
This particular Red-tailed Hawk has such a striking appearance and not one of the photos I have taken of it thus far show just how freaking gorgeous it actually is.