Gray & Windy Day Great Blue Heron Portrait
This Great Blue Heron wandered past me one December morning at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach on a gray, windy day and because it was close I simply had to take a photo of the large wading bird.
Snowy Egret Wading in Dark Water
I knew when I photographed this Snowy Egret in a shallow lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park that the dark reflections of the mangroves and mangrove roots on the water would produce a high contrast image.
Gulf Shore Black Skimmer Skimming
Black Skimmers forage by skimming their bills in the waves just off shore and snap up fish when their sensitive bills locate them.
Snowy Plover at the North Beach of Fort De Soto
When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the 12th of April I spotted a Snowy Plover way out on the flats and that thrilled me because it was only my second sighting since my move to Utah back in 2009.
Ruddy Turnstone Chicks Grow Up Fast
What is really fascinating to me is that within two days of fledging Ruddy Turnstone chicks embark on their first migration to their wintering grounds.
Marbled Godwit and Friends on Exposed Mudflats
In 2009 I photographed this foraging Marbled Godwit and friends on exposed mudflats of a Fort De Soto County Park lagoon.
Greater Yellowlegs in Florida and Utah
I expect to see Greater Yellowlegs soon because they are one of the first shorebirds to migrate through Utah on their way to their breeding grounds.
Black Skimmer in a Fog over the Gulf of Mexico
Whenever I view this photo of a lone Black Skimmer in flight on a foggy Gulf shore I feel a wave of joy and peaceful feelings wash over me.
Courting Black Skimmers on North Beach, Fort De Soto
On a hazy, windy day in May of 2008 I was able to sand crawl on my belly close enough to some Black Skimmers to watch and photograph them courting.
Juvenile Brown Pelican Portrait on the Shore of the Gulf
It was wonderful to be close to the juvenile Brown Pelican and to be able to take portraits of it plus I also enjoyed being able to see all the fine details of its plumage, the texture of its bill and look into its dark eyes.
Elegant Forster’s Tern in flight with a touch of added canvas
I've always loved this image of a Forster's Tern in flight because the pose is wonderful and the tern looks elegant against the gray of a distant storm cloud.
Gulf Shore Yellow-crowned Night Heron
I did see and photograph this adult Yellow-crowned Night Heron standing on a grassy sand dune overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in beautiful, soft light.
Franklin’s Gull and Laughing Gull Comparison
I know this isn't a complete Franklin's Gull and Laughing Gull comparison but I'm not a scientist, just a bird photographer and bird lover.
Trio of Greater Yellowlegs
When I photographed this trio of Great Yellowlegs in Florida I didn't have to worry about how far away they were, in fact at times they moved too close to me
Black Skimmer Skimming the Gulf
My own technique for photographing this Black Skimmer skimming the Gulf and other skimmers that day was to sit down in the water right where the waves crested and moved on shore.
An Alert Spotted Sandpiper in Nonbreeding Plumage
This alert Spotted Sandpiper was photographed at Fort De Soto County Park in January of 2009 as it walked down some rip rap towards the water.
Solitary Snowy Egret In Low Light
This image of a solitary Snowy Egret in low light is simple but I find the simplicity of it appealing.
Roseate Spoonbill in a lagoon with a young Mangrove
I can recall vividly the morning I photographed this Roseate Spoonbill in a lagoon with a young mangrove by its legs at Fort De Soto County Park.
Ghost Crab at Fort De Soto County Park
I am not sure why this particular Ghost Crab was out of its burrow during the day but I was happy that I had the opportunity to photograph it.
Scoop Of Black Skimmers Flying Past Shell Key
I haven't seen Black Skimmers in over six years now but in my mind I can still hear them calling when I look at my images of a group of them in flight.
The Ring-billed Gull Ballet
Among the bait fish skirmishes one solitary Ring-billed Gull stood out to me and as it flew after the Reddish Egret and Laughing Gulls I kept my lens trained on it.
Bathing Ruddy Turnstone
About half the world's shorebird populations are in decline and with climate change and rising sea levels habitat loss is happening at a faster rate than ever before.
Marbled Godwits are Migrating
The past few times I have gone to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I have seen Marbled Godwits flying over and I know that their migration to their wintering grounds has begun.
Western Sandpiper Foraging on the North Beach of Fort De Soto
This is just a simple post of a foraging Western Sandpiper that I found while working on moving my images from their old galleries to the new ones yesterday.
Marbled Godwit Surprise on Antelope Island
I was surprised to see this Marbled Godwit on the island but over the years I have learned to expect the unexpected whenever I am out photographing birds!
Common Loons and Loony Weather
When I thought about our loony weather it reminded me of loons, specifically Common Loons because there have been many reports of them here this past week.
Greater Yellowlegs at the wrack line
I get excited when spring arrives in Utah and the shorebirds return because they were my spark birds, they are what got me into bird photography
Resting Ruddy Turnstone male
When I photographed this resting Ruddy Turnstone male on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico in 2009 I knew it wouldn't be long before he migrated to a rocky arctic coast to breed.
Double-crested Cormorant coming in for a landing
I'm glad the Double-crested Cormorant didn't decide to relive itself as it came in to land or I might have been wearing white-wash!
Great Egrets in varying light conditions
The best light can be fleeting though so it is always best to photograph as much as you can during the "golden hours".