breeding season

Are Great Blue Herons Breeding at Higher Elevations Due to Climate Change?

By |2022-12-12T04:19:45-07:00June 28th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Summit County, Utah, Video|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm wondering now if Great Blue Herons here in Utah might already be adapting to climate change by moving higher up into the mountain valleys and canyons that have suitable food and water supplies to breed and nest.

Chipping Sparrow With Nesting Materials In The Uinta Mountains

By |2021-06-03T04:12:55-06:00June 6th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

While photographing some Pine Siskins that were foraging and gathering nesting materials I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye and spotted a Chipping Sparrow with nesting materials in its bill.

Our Western Kingbirds Have Returned To Northern Utah

By |2021-05-31T12:51:32-06:00April 20th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did see a Western Kingbird two days ago but the only photos I have of that bird were taken on a barbed wire fence and I have more of those type of images than I know what to do with and nothing about those images were appealing, unique or all that interesting.

Calling Pied-billed Grebe – It Is Breeding Season For These Grebes

By |2021-07-30T04:07:14-06:00March 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I noticed one Pied-billed Grebe carrying vegetation in its bill which I presume it was gathering to build its floating nest at a small pond at Farmington Bay WMA and later on I heard the call of a Pied-billed Grebe, located the grebe and photographed it as it called.

December for Utah and Florida Great Blue Herons – What a Difference

By |2021-04-17T18:27:21-06:00December 9th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The lives of these Great Blue Herons sure are different when you compare December in Utah to December in Florida.

Clark’s Grebes Rushing in September at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2024-03-23T05:30:45-06:00September 7th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was positively amazed to see the Clark's Grebes rushing across the water this late in the year, personally I've never seen them rush past the end of July.

Lark Sparrow with an Ant on Antelope Island

By |2021-05-22T15:31:24-06:00April 18th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Lark Sparrows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The day I photographed this Lark Sparrow with an ant on the boulder right next to it the light wasn't the best for bird photography but when I reviewed the images and saw the ant I knew I had to keep this photo.

Ospreys of Honeymoon Island State Park

By |2024-03-14T16:12:19-06:00April 6th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Honeymoon Island State Park, Ospreys, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Honeymoon Island State Park in Pinellas County, Florida is a great place to see and photograph nesting Ospreys, not just one or two nests either, there are often quite a few.

American White Pelicans – PeliCam and PeliTrack

By |2023-09-04T11:33:49-06:00March 26th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American White Pelicans are returning to their breeding grounds in Utah and I have already seen a few of them myself and though I haven't been able to photograph them yet I know I will soon.

Male Horned Lark Territorial Behaviors – Tit-for-tat Chases

By |2024-02-23T03:11:53-07:00March 10th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The most interesting activities I saw yesterday were territorial behaviors and chases between two male Horned Larks in an open area of the park.

Centennial Valley Eastern Kingbird

By |2021-06-15T09:27:08-06:00June 4th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Eastern Kingbirds, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Mountain Bluebirds and this Centennial Valley Eastern Kingbird were the first two bird species I photographed on this trip to Montana and Idaho.

Tree Swallow near Modoc Creek, Idaho

By |2024-03-25T06:27:39-06:00June 3rd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I liked this image of a Tree Swallow near Modoc Creek because of the eye contact, head turn, colors and the pattern of the conifer needles in the background.

Breeding Season for Killdeer at Bear River MBR

By |2024-03-18T19:29:23-06:00April 24th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Killdeer, Nesting Birds, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is breeding season for Killdeer at Bear River MBR and for all of Utah.

Nesting Sage Thrashers – In a Rush to Reproduce

By |2022-03-13T09:53:40-06:00April 7th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph a Sage Thrasher with nesting materials in its bill on Antelope Island State Park.

Listening for Willets

By |2023-04-26T02:56:46-06:00April 6th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have often written how I long to hear the first Long-billed Curlew in the spring but I feel I should mention that I also anxiously await the first calls of migrating Willets too.

Return of the Tree Swallows

By |2024-03-25T06:12:04-06:00March 25th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.

I’m a real sucker for birds

By |2021-04-11T13:38:49-06:00January 26th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I will photograph birds big and small, those that are flashy and those that are dull. From rare to common it doesn't matter to me.

Red-winged Blackbirds are Courting and Nesting at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2022-10-02T07:33:45-06:00March 25th, 2014|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The Red-winged Blackbirds at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge have courting and nest building on their minds now that spring is upon us.

Male Red-winged Blackbird singing on a Mangrove

By |2024-03-01T04:58:43-07:00November 15th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-winged Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't if this male was successful with the female Red-winged Blackbirds but he sure had me mesmerized with his sleek black feathers and his flashing red, orange and yellow epaulets.

Soon Willets will be arriving in Utah

By |2021-04-25T10:02:26-06:00March 9th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

March is a month when I begin to anticipate the arrival of Willets, I have been listening carefully for them and hoping to catch sight of them along the causeway to Antelope Island any day now.

Rushing Western Grebes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2024-03-17T04:06:33-06:00October 27th, 2012|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed these rushing Western Grebes in early June of this year at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge in Box Elder County.

Lazuli Buntings near the San Rafael River

By |2022-07-11T04:41:12-06:00September 26th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, San Rafael Swell area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have enjoyed photographing Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) near the San Rafael River at the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area. These images were taken in the spring when the males were high on perches singing to attract females.

Mating Killdeer – Thanks to a Coyote

By |2024-03-19T05:37:28-06:00April 18th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Coyotes, Davis County, Killdeer, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I wrote about Long-billed Curlews having a Territorial Encounter but earlier that same morning I had another wonderful photographic encounter thanks to a scruffy looking, rain soaked Coyote waking up at the top of a ridge.

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