dark morph

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T04:42:58-07:00November 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today, I found this gorgeous dark morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a juniper fence post in the West Desert. I spotted it from about a mile away.

West Desert Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2023-11-24T03:29:26-07:00November 21st, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nearly three years have passed since I found, pointed out, and photographed this stunning dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert of Utah.

Desert Red-tailed Hawk Photos

By |2022-10-28T05:27:51-06:00October 28th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was up in far northern Utah looking for birds last week, I took quite a few Red-tailed Hawk photos. I shared one image a few days ago and here are a few more.

Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Photos

By |2022-08-29T03:18:20-06:00August 29th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Early yesterday morning on my way to the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I was delighted to see and photograph not just one dark morph Swainson's Hawk but two.

Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off With Prey

By |2023-05-05T10:06:04-06:00November 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spotted this dark morph Red-tailed Hawk high on a cliff and I was able to photograph him as he lifted off with prey in his talons.

Dark and light morph Red-tailed Hawk Photos

By |2021-10-09T06:00:23-06:00October 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I almost missed finding this adult dark morph Red-tailed Hawk last Sunday because when I first spotted the hawk he was behind a tree in dark shadows but I recognized the shape and form of the raptor.

Immature Light Morph Red-tailed Hawk Plus A Dark Morph Adult

By |2021-09-19T05:36:07-06:00September 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted the light colored breast of this immature light morph Red-tailed Hawk from a distance it seemed to glow in the morning light.

West Desert Ferruginous Hawks – Light And Dark Morphs

By |2021-09-22T15:48:56-06:00October 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The past couple of weeks on some of my journeys to the West Desert of Utah I have been able to have a few long distance views of Ferruginous Hawks and that has me excited.

Swainson’s Hawk Chicks, Sub-adult And Adults

By |2021-03-09T04:18:29-07:00March 31st, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Idaho, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These are the life stages of the Swainson's Hawks I see, observe and photograph here in Utah, Idaho and Montana.

Fun Photographing Reddish Egrets In Florida

By |2021-10-09T04:10:38-06:00January 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had so much fun photographing Reddish Egrets when I lived in Florida and could see them nearly every time I went to Fort De Soto County Park's north beach.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk Photographed In Early Morning Light

By |2023-11-24T03:22:04-07:00November 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photograph birds all the time and there are a few that simply take my breath away and totally mesmerize me, this dark morph Ferruginous Hawk is one of those birds.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk On The Hunt In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T03:53:53-07:00November 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been a long time since I had a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in my view finder so when I spotted it hovering over a field I knew I had to stop and get photos of it.

Staring Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Close Up

By |2021-03-31T05:57:31-06:00April 4th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've shared photos of this gorgeous dark morph Swainson's Hawk before and I've written about how I believed it was the darkest, dark morph I had ever seen and to date that still holds true.

Male Northern Harrier Diving After Falling Prey – Paying Attention Beyond the Viewfinder

By |2021-04-10T04:08:46-06:00May 5th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk – Possibly The Darkest I Have Ever Seen

By |2021-04-15T04:57:47-06:00April 18th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Photographing Swainson’s Hawks in Northern Utah

By |2021-04-27T04:31:49-06:00April 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning in northern Utah I saw about a dozen Swainson's Hawks in about 2.25 miles, some were perched, some were in flight and all of them were wonderful to photograph.

Dark and White Morph Reddish Egrets in Breeding Plumage

By |2020-01-25T08:06:27-07:00February 15th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One May morning in 2009 I was able to photograph both the dark and white morph Reddish Egret in breeding plumage just minutes and yards apart at Fort De Soto's north beach.

Juvenile dark morph Harlan’s Hawk

By |2022-09-20T15:50:43-06:00October 20th, 2014|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Harlan's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Harlan's Hawks are a subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks that breed in Alaska and northern Canada and spend their winters in the northern Great Plains.

Reddish Egrets – Wading birds that delight

By |2020-01-25T13:05:59-07:00June 15th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Reddish Egret is one of my favorite wading birds. Standing still they are a delight to the eyes and while hunting they can perform amazing turns, twists, gallops and appear to be dancing.

White and Dark Morph Reddish Egrets Hunting

By |2020-01-26T14:54:08-07:00May 25th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As a bird photographer I feel it is very important to me that my images show my subjects and the settings they are in as accurately as possible.

Reddish Egret hunting along the Gulf Coast of Florida

By |2020-01-25T12:15:37-07:00September 16th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Recently I posted images of a Tricolored Heron and a Black-bellied Plover where I wrote that I enjoyed images that include habitat, the same could be said about this photo of a Reddish Egret hunting on the shoreline of the Gulf Coast.

Frustrations in Bird Photography – Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2021-09-25T13:53:24-06:00August 23rd, 2013|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ferruginous Hawks, Frustrations in bird photography, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The dark morph Ferruginous Hawk above had just lifted off from a power pole when I photographed it with a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Two different Swainson’s Hawks

By |2021-03-31T16:37:17-06:00August 1st, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Montana, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Red-tailed Hawks have the most variable plumages of North American hawks but Swainson's Hawks are also pretty variable, there are light morphs, intermediate morphs and dark morphs.

Harlan’s Hawk juvenile with an American Coot (Graphic)

By |2021-09-13T03:49:34-06:00January 23rd, 2013|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Harlan's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I haven't had many opportunities to photograph the Harlan's subspecies of the Red-tailed Hawk so I was thrilled yesterday when I spotted a juvenile dark morph Harlan's Hawk feeding on a dead American Coot on the bank of a creek.

Reddish Egret Morphs

By |2021-10-09T04:13:02-06:00December 27th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Reddish Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These two Reddish Egrets; a dark and a white morph, were photographed on the same day at Fort De Soto's north beach in May of 2009 and both of them were showing signs of being in breeding plumage.

Go to Top