desert

Warbling Vireo And Fall Colors In The Stansbury Mountains

By |2024-03-29T14:36:57-05:00September 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When this Warbling Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast.

Potpourri Of Ruby-crowned Kinglet Photos

By |2021-06-26T11:41:31-05:00September 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I wanted to share a potpourri of Ruby-crowned Kinglet photos because I adore seeing and photographing these quick moving, charismatic little birds.

Adult Sage Thrasher Regurgitating A Sumac Seed

By |2021-03-05T04:43:59-06:00September 17th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eleven days ago I photographed an adult Sage Thrasher regurgitating the seed of a sumac berry that was so close I could barely fit the thrasher in the frame.

Male Spotted Towhees – One Immature And One Adult

By |2024-04-05T03:45:44-05:00September 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Towhees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Spotted Towhees are among the most colorful members of the sparrow family and I always enjoy photographing them on those occasions when they are out in the open.

Hawk In The West Desert Perched In A Dead Juniper

By |2022-05-27T13:14:43-05:00September 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't usually share photos where the main subject is facing away from me but I liked the alert pose of this raptor as it perched in the dead but distant juniper tree.

My First Desert Tarantula Sighting In Utah

By |2023-10-05T05:03:01-05:00September 11th, 2020|Categories: Desert Tarantulas, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was so excited that I was shaking because the creature I had found was a Desert Tarantula which was my first sighting of one in Utah.

I’m Just Mad About Sparrows

By |2023-03-07T09:34:15-06:00September 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Brewer's Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time photographing all of the sparrow species I saw two days ago and I could have stayed with them all morning long. I might do just that later this week.

Focusing On Taking Immature Cooper’s Hawk Photos

By |2024-03-16T13:22:23-05:00September 7th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Cooper’s Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird I photographed yesterday morning was an immature Cooper's Hawk that I found because I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk on a cliff face that the young accipiter decided to harass. 

Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly – Other Things With Wings

By |2022-07-19T15:27:14-05:00July 17th, 2020|Categories: Box Elder County, Davis County, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonflies, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Five days ago I photographed a lifer dragonfly when I found a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer that was hanging around a spring-fed seep next to a gravel road in Box Elder County.

Recently Fledged Red-tailed Hawks From Two Nests

By |2022-10-04T04:42:03-05:00July 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time photographing three recently fledged Red-tailed Hawks from two different nests in northern Utah yesterday morning.

Photographing Three Short-eared Owls In Northern Utah

By |2021-03-13T11:14:03-06:00June 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't know for sure if I will see another Short-eared Owl to photograph this year but I do know I had fun photographing these three.

Say’s Phoebes And Sagebrush

By |2021-06-11T04:15:41-05:00June 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Habitat, Say's Phoebes, Shrubs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over time I have come to associate Say's Phoebes with sagebrush because I don't think I have ever seen or photographed one of these phoebes where there wasn't sage nearby here in northern Utah.

Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating

By |2021-03-12T06:02:53-06:00May 26th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.

Thinking Of Spring And Short-eared Owls

By |2024-03-12T05:59:31-05:00February 23rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been busy the past few days and haven't been able to get out into the field but that hasn't stopped me from thinking of spring, green fields, warm sunlight on my skin, and Short-eared Owls.

Rufous Female Red-tailed Hawk Fly By

By |2021-04-27T04:39:50-05:00January 24th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I keep wondering if I will see this big, gorgeous, rufous Red-tailed Hawk female in my viewfinder again this year.

Great Horned Owl In Desert Habitat

By |2024-03-05T05:35:32-06:00November 28th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Great Horned Owls, Mt. Moriah Wilderness Area, Nevada, White Pine County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I reached back into my archives and found this photo of a side lit Great Horned Owl in desert habitat that I spotted from one of the dirt access roads that lead to the Mt. Moriah Wilderness of eastern Nevada in 2012.

West Desert Juniper Titmouse Feeding On Juniper Berry Seeds

By |2023-11-12T05:03:07-06:00November 27th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Juniper Titmouses, Simpson Springs, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Because I have spent so much time out in the West Desert lately I have seen and heard quite a few Juniper Titmice moving through the junipers that dot the slopes of the mountains and foothills.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk On The Hunt In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T03:53:53-06:00November 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.

Autumn Male Spotted Towhee

By |2024-04-05T05:10:40-05:00November 6th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Towhees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed some sparrows, goldfinches, juncos, and this lovely male Spotted Towhee that was eating the fruit of a Fragrant Sumac tree.

Early Morning Immature Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-10-29T06:26:33-05:00November 2nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't get the Brown Creeper photos I have been dreaming of yesterday but I did take lovely images of an immature Ferruginous Hawk in early morning, golden light.

Sharp-shinned Hawk Perched And Preening

By |2023-10-13T14:24:32-05:00October 19th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When it comes to accipiters I see Sharp-shinned Hawks less frequently than I do Cooper's Hawks or Northern Goshawks so when I have a Sharp-shinned Hawk in my viewfinder I become very excited.

Photographing Autumn Townsend’s Solitaires

By |2021-11-13T08:05:20-06:00October 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last Friday as I looked for birds in a few West Desert canyons I was serenaded by the songs and calls of Townsend's Solitaires and while I loved hearing them it was frustrating because they were either too far away or hidden from my view.

Enchanted By Fall Ruby-crowned Kinglets

By |2021-06-26T11:46:09-05:00October 7th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For a few moments yesterday morning I was absolutely enchanted by a small flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets in Box Elder County in northern Utah.

Immature Turkey Vultures In Northern Utah

By |2021-03-12T06:21:18-06:00September 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't have many decent photos of immature Turkey Vultures so when I spotted several of them 11 days ago in northern Utah I was excited but my hopes for good light on the hatch year birds were dashed by clouds.

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