Burrowing Owl Surprise
There are Burrowing Owls on Antelope Island; I've photographed them hundreds of times, but yesterday I spotted one in a location I had never seen one before.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron or Orange-eyed Day Heron?
Despite having "Night Heron" in their name Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are not strictly denizens of the dark, they can and do stalk their prey during the daylight hours too.
White-tailed Deer doe in Glacier County, Montana
In Utah I don't often have the opportunity to see and photograph White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) because they have a very limited range here so I was thrilled to have the chance to photograph this doe close up as she fed between the gravel road and a barley field in Glacier County, Montana.
Coyote Pup
It might have been slow on Antelope Island State Park yesterday as far as birds go but it was a Coyote kind of day with 9 as a total tally for just a few hours spent on the island.
Great Blue Heron Portrait
This Great Blue Heron got up close and personal with me a few years ago in Florida, it largely ignored my presence altogether as it stalked prey on shore of the Gulf of Mexico.
Mule Deer Portraits
While out on Antelope Island State Park the other day I spotted a Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that was almost hidden by tall grasses and stopped to get some images.
Bald Eagle Close Up – 4 Year Old
A few years ago I had some wonderful photo ops with this 4-year-old Bald Eagle at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area
Red-breasted Merganser – At 220mm
You don't always need to have long focal lengths to get close up images, this image was taken with a moderately priced Nikkor 70-300mm VR at only 220mm and it is practically full frame.
Western Meadowlark – Up Close And Personal
During the spring Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) can be easy to locate and then approach because they spend so much time singing from the tops of boulders, bushes, posts and other manmade objects.
Springtime California Gull Portrait
Yesterday while I was out photographing Long-billed Curlews this California Gull (Larus californicus) flew in so close that all I could do was take portraits of the bird.
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.
Juvenile Burrowing Owl Portrait
Burrowing Owls are beautiful birds with lemony yellow eyes, downy soft feathers and subtle coloration. It's hard to believe that they aren't that much different in size from an American Robin.
Great Blue Heron at Sunrise
Another one of the reasons I enjoy this photo is that the eye of the Great Blue Heron has a colored catchlight that is from the sun glowing yellow on the eastern horizon.
The Bald Eagles are Returning to the Valley
During the summer months I don't often see Bald Eagles unless I go up into the high country or travel north of Utah to Idaho, Wyoming or Montana but in the Salt Lake Valley many Bald Eagles come in to spend the winter.
Antelope Island Pronghorn Buck Portrait
I used to dream about getting images like this one of Pronghorns when all I had was a simple Point & Shoot camera and I could never get close enough to the pronghorns to achieve my dreams. Now I can.
Buck Pronghorn with Oddly Misshapened Horns
This October 3rd I spotted this pronghorn for the third or fourth time in this past year only this time I had good light, the buck wasn't far away and because it is rut season he was only paying attention to the does and other bucks in the area.
Red-shouldered Hawk Juvenile
This very cooperative juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk was used to the people who frequented Sawgrass County Park and it would land very close to humans.
Reddish Egret – aka Big Red
Worth the sand in my clothes, scrapes on my knees and looking like something the cat had wanted to drag in but decided it was way too dirty? You betcha!
Shorebirds: Long-billed Curlew Juvenile
Sometimes I just feel so lucky being a bird photographer. Not only do I get to be outside in nature when I am photographing, but I get nice surprises too like when this Long-billed Curlew juvenile approached near enough to get head shots of it.
Black-billed Magpie Juveniles
Adults have black eyes, the Black-billed Magpie juveniles have blue, gray or even violet eyes.
Friday Photos: A Friendly Swainson’s Hawk
Last Friday I came upon this Swainson's Hawk; not just once but twice, perched on signs very close to the road.
California Gulls – The 1848 Heroes of Utah’s Pioneers
Huge flocks of California Gulls allegedly descended onto the grasshoppers in the valley and made tasty meals of the insects thus preventing the total loss of the crops as the story is told.
Fish Crows
Fish Crows are fairly commonplace along the coast of Pinellas County and they are often ignored by photographers because they are a "plain" common bird.
An Amazing Encounter…Or Two With A Young Bald Eagle
I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.
The Importance of Honest Self Critique in Bird Photography
I've enjoyed photography for a long time but for quite awhile I didn't understand the value or importance of honest self critique.
Anhinga Portraits
Anhingas have always fascinated me. These are portraits of both the male and female.
Black-crowned Night Heron Portrait
Since I moved to Utah I have never been able to get as close to Black-crowned Night Herons like I was able to approach this bird in Florida.
Red Fox Kits
Late last spring I had a wonderful opportunity to photograph young Red Fox kits at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge in northern Utah.
Nemesis Birds – Common Ravens
For a long time I have wanted images of Common Ravens, they are intelligent birds, and a challenge to photograph.
Great Blue Herons
Great Blue Herons are North America's largest heron and one of the three largest herons in the world.