flight

Winter Ring-billed Gulls – From Low Light To Afternoon Light

By |January 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can't say that I prefer one of these Ring-billed Gull images over the other, the low light image is as appealing to me as the one I took in afternoon light. I enjoy them both.

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

By |January 12th, 2020|Categories: American Barn Owls, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wanted to take the time to wish my brother a Happy Birthday here on my blog and it seemed fitting to use this photo of a Barn Owl hunting in daylight that I took seven years ago today.

Time For Winter Bald Eagle Photography In Northern Utah

By |December 23rd, 2019|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

So if you don't enjoy the craziness that can happen at Farmington Bay WMA when the Bald Eagles arrive for the winter just pick an area and go for a relaxed drive to another location.

Split Second Eye Contact With An Immature Northern Harrier

By |December 20th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two frames later the immature Northern Harrier tilted its head, looked directly towards my lens, and seemed to eyeball me and my gear.

I Should Have Listened To My Instincts Yesterday

By |December 16th, 2019|Categories: American Barn Owls, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I might have taken some wonderful photos of birds in nice light yesterday if I had only listened to my instincts and gone out to look for birds.

Winter Weather And Low Light Bird Photography Ahead

By |November 29th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Low light, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah, weather|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I actually like photographing birds in a snow storm because the low light situations test my skills, the limits of my gear and the resulting photos often have a moody feeling to them.

Light Morph Rough-legged Hawk In The West Desert

By |November 25th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There was a stiff breeze blowing and when the light morph Rough-legged Hawk lifted off from the juniper it seemed to me as if he did it in slow motion.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk On The Hunt In The West Desert

By |November 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.

I’m Looking Forward To Photographing Winter Ducks

By |November 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge a few days ago I saw lots of ducks in the marshes and on the water and I realized that I am looking forward to photographing winter ducks again.

Snowy Egrets Foraging, Fighting, Landing And Lifting Off

By |September 25th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These nine Snowy Egret photos are just a fraction of the images I took of a small flock of these snowy, white birds with golden slippers yesterday morning on the marshes of Farmington Bay WMA.

White-faced Ibis On The Wing Over The Marsh At Farmington Bay WMA

By |September 24th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this White-faced Ibis on the wing over the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA photo last week and at first I thought the bird was too small in the frame but the more I look at it the more I like it.

Remarkably Symmetrical Molt In A Ring-Billed Gull

By |September 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Not only was this Ring-billed Gull in molt it was molting in a remarkably symmetrical pattern which I found interesting. Because the gull was in flight the symmetry was very visible.

Photographing Immature Forster’s Terns On The Hunt And Catching Prey

By |September 21st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had fun testing my skills by photographing several immature Forster's Terns that were hunting for and catching prey at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago.

An Immature Red-tailed Hawk On A Foggy Morning In The Mountains

By |September 13th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are times when one bird can make my day and yesterday that bird was an immature Red-tailed Hawk that I spotted just before heading home after a trip into the mountains that included fog and other challenges.

American White Pelican At Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge

By |September 12th, 2019|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The lighting I had wasn't the best but for some reason I really like this photo of the American White Pelican on the wing over the refuge because of the contrasts between the whites and blues in the frame.

Immature Swainson’s Hawk In Changing Light

By |September 9th, 2019|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo session with an immature Swainson's Hawk reinforced how as a bird photographer I need to not only be keenly aware of changing light it also showed how I may need to quickly change my settings to get the photos I want.

Cooling Winter Views Of The Great Salt Lake

By |August 25th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I live in such a beautiful state and even though birds are my primary focus as subjects the natural world that surrounds me is endlessly fascinating, stunning and I hope I never lose the sense of wonder I feel when I see it.

Imagine Utah Without California Gulls

By |August 11th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Conservation, Davis County, Environment, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ah, Mia, it is just a bird. No, it isn't just a bird. Because California Gulls aren't the only birds at risk of disappearing from the skies, shorelines and waters of Utah.

Snowy Egret In Flight Over The Green Marsh At Bear River MBR

By |July 8th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Sometimes the simplicity of an image is what draws me in and keeps me happily satisfied with it and that is what I enjoy about this photo of a Snowy Egret in flight over the marsh at Bear River MBR, the simplicity.

American Avocet Chicks Have Hatched At Bear River MBR

By |June 26th, 2019|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I was tickled to finally see some American Avocet chicks on the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, I've been waiting to see these little puff balls this year!

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Bliss in The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 1st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent yesterday morning enjoying a Broad-tailed Hummingbird bliss in the Wasatch Mountains by finding their favorite perches and photographing them feeding, resting, and defending their territories.

More Photos Of The Rufous Red-tailed Hawk Female

By |April 1st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time photographing this beautiful rufous Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning and I'm glad I had good light when I did.

Migrating Turkey Vultures Are On The Wing

By |March 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I miss seeing and photographing Turkey Vultures during the winter and now I am excited that very soon I'll be seeing them roosting on fence posts, rocky outcroppings, cattle gates, trees, corrals and the ground, riding the thermals, thermoregulating and scarfing up road kill all over the place!

Photographing Tundra Swans And Northern Pintails In Low Light

By |March 5th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Pintails, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Our Tundra Swans won't be at the refuge much longer and will soon be winging their way to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and I realize that my opportunities to photograph them before they leave are dwindling.

Short-eared Owl With A Stormy Sky – Small In The Frame

By |February 28th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love the darkness and the light in the stormy sky in the background, how well lit the Short-eared Owl was and the position of his wings in flight and I like that he is small in this frame because this is often the view that I and others have of these wonderful owls in the field.

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