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Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert

By |2024-02-26T10:14:55-06:00May 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Lazuli Buntings, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird And A Knothole

By |2021-05-28T05:24:26-05:00May 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday while out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert I spotted a female Black-chinned Hummingbird repeatedly checking out a knothole in a tree.

Violet-green Swallow Photos

By |2021-05-27T04:56:39-05:00May 27th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was able to take the Violet-green Swallow photos that I have been dreaming of since I first moved to Utah in 2009.

Red-naped Sapsucker Photos

By |2021-04-11T06:10:38-05:00April 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I wanted to share a few Red-naped Sapsucker photos I have taken while in gorgeous alpine forests of Idaho and Utah. 

Tree Swallows Have Returned

By |2024-03-25T07:54:11-05:00March 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A little birdie told me that Tree Swallows returned to the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge about the middle of this month.

Photographing Red-breasted Nuthatches Isn’t Easy

By |2023-09-24T03:41:12-05:00October 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Red-breasted Nuthatches aren't easy to photograph because they are tiny, they move quickly and their flight patterns are fairly unpredictable. Finding the right habitat, their habitat, can make it fun.

Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Fragrant Sumac Shrub

By |2023-04-11T04:53:09-05:00September 28th, 2020|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Rock Squirrel was grasping a sumac branch and the shrub was so close to me I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to focus on it.

Least Chipmunk With a Fly On Its Head – Things That Make Me Laugh

By |2021-07-13T13:16:30-05:00September 23rd, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are times I see funny things while I am out photographing that tickle me so much that I have to laugh out loud and yesterday that was this Least Chipmunk with a fly on its head.

Mountain Chickadee And Changing Seasons

By |2021-04-27T15:43:47-05:00September 16th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mountain Chickadees, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

When this Mountain Chickadee came into view it was hanging from a juniper bough with two Douglas Fir seeds in its bill it appeared to be looking around for a place to cache its food.

Molting House Wren

By |2024-02-26T10:09:36-06:00August 24th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two weeks ago I photographed a molting House Wren high in the Wasatch Mountains as it perched near a willow thicket.

Least Chipmunk Feasting On Ripe Serviceberries

By |2021-07-13T13:23:23-05:00August 8th, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Birds aren't the only creatures feasting on the ripe serviceberries in the Wasatch Mountains right now, Least Chipmunks are also gorging on the juicy berries too.

Adult Cedar Waxwing With Ripening Serviceberries

By |2024-03-30T16:12:39-05:00August 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Cedar Waxwing didn't appear to be on the shrub to eat the serviceberries because all it did was call and look around. Perhaps its young were also in the area.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2021-05-28T04:47:51-05:00June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I saw this female Black-chinned Hummingbird land on a willow branch not far from where I sat in a mobile blind and I was delighted to photograph her.

Hearing Thousands Of American Goldfinches Flying Overhead

By |2021-07-04T08:02:05-05:00May 28th, 2020|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have never heard so many American Goldfinches flying overhead for such a long period of time and I was in awe. I still am.

Tree Swallows Nesting In The Uinta Mountains

By |2024-03-25T07:42:35-05:00May 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tree Swallows and other birds should be nesting in the Uinta Mountains by now and I am itching to hop into my Jeep to drive up there to find them.

Searching And Listening For Cedar Waxwings

By |2024-03-30T17:39:41-05:00May 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every time I've gone up into the Wasatch Mountains lately I have been searching and listening for Cedar Waxwings to observe and photograph.

Focusing On House Wrens

By |2024-02-26T07:39:46-06:00May 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

To photograph House Wrens and other birds I know I need to find them which means focusing my attention on the sights and sounds around me whenever I am out in the field which has worked extremely well for me.

One Bad Mama Mountain Bluebird And Her Swiss Army Knife

By |2024-03-29T07:36:35-05:00May 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Imagine my surprise when through my viewfinder I could see that the female Mountain Bluebird had landed on a Swiss Army knife that was stuck into the bark of one of the trees.

Nesting Northern Flickers Provide Nests For Other Birds

By |2024-03-07T14:34:56-06:00May 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Northern Flickers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By excavating their own nests Northern Flickers provide nests for other woodland birds that can't excavate nesting cavities on their own and those nests can be used over and over again. Nature is brilliant.

Nesting Mountain Bluebirds And Other Woodland Birds

By |2024-03-29T08:28:24-05:00April 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, House Wrens, Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds. 

Spring Least Chipmunk On An Old Wooden Fence In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2021-07-13T13:39:04-05:00April 23rd, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Least Chipmunk was running along the rails of an old wooden fence and when it stopped for a rest on a fence post I was ready.

Finding Wild Turkey Hens Roosting In Aspens

By |2022-02-04T15:00:15-06:00April 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I got out into the field for a little while yesterday morning and because of the observation skills I have developed over many years I was able to find two Wild Turkey hens roosting in Aspen trees.

Adult Male Red-naped Sapsucker With Food For His Chicks

By |2021-04-11T06:05:04-05:00April 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The adult Red-naped Sapsuckers often clung to the entrance to the nesting cavity for a few seconds before they went inside with the food they had gathered to give to their chicks.

Photographing Nesting Williamson’s Sapsuckers

By |2023-11-02T07:11:29-05:00April 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For one and a half wonderful nesting seasons I was thrilled to photograph a pair of mated Williamson's Sapsuckers excavating a nest and tending to their young.

Smoke Phase Wild Turkey Hen Photos

By |2024-03-21T15:52:57-05:00April 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Someone at sometime had tossed a soda can into the junipers and the Wild Turkey hen walked right in front of it during the few seconds she was out in the open.

Smoke Phase Wild Turkey Hen Plus A Displaying Tom

By |2024-03-21T15:46:05-05:00April 2nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I hadn't have been paying attention yesterday I might have missed out on spotting a flock of turkeys in some junipers and photographing a smoke phase Wild Turkey hen.

Visions Of Spring And Nesting House Wrens

By |2024-02-26T07:11:53-06:00January 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Summit County, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These nesting House Wren photos were taken two years ago at the end of May high up in the Uinta Mountains where stands of aspens are used as nesting trees.

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