lift off

Immature Great Blue Heron – With And Without The Hand Of Man

By |2021-04-17T17:51:27-05:00October 22nd, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Is one of these immature Great Blue Heron images more visually appealing than the other? That depends on the personal tastes of the person viewing them.

Adult And Immature Cedar Waxwings High In The Wasatch Mountains

By |2024-03-30T15:29:34-05:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On August 10th I drove into the mountains for a quiet, relaxing morning and came away with quite a few bird photos I have yet to process.

Immature Eastern Kingbirds At Bear River MBR

By |2023-03-23T15:21:08-05:00August 19th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Eastern Kingbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I only had two minutes with these immature Eastern Kingbirds and I felt I had to make every second I had with them in my viewfinder count. I succeeded.

Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season Has Begun!

By |2022-10-04T04:41:23-05:00March 28th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The female Red-tailed Hawk blended into the lichen covered cliff face so well that even with my sharp eyesight I didn't see her until the male landed next to her.

Adult Male Red-winged Blackbird Take Off

By |2024-03-01T05:12:50-06:00March 4th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo of an adult male Red-winged Blackbird taking off this morning with the distant snow covered Promontory Mountains in the background.

Concentrating On Great Blue Herons In Winter

By |2021-04-17T18:07:57-05:00January 20th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were plenty of Great Blue Herons to photograph yesterday morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and I was more than happy to take photos of them.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk Photographed In Early Morning Light

By |2023-11-24T03:22:04-06:00November 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.

Immature Swainson’s Hawk In Changing Light

By |2021-04-15T03:51:25-05:00September 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.

Photographing Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Siblings

By |2023-05-05T10:17:28-05:00August 31st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent 26 minutes yesterday photographing juvenile Red-tailed Hawk siblings and had a blast watching them preen, lift off, flying, scratching, resting and landing.

Cedar Waxwings – Perched And On The Wing

By |2024-03-30T18:35:59-05:00August 19th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a nice time photographing Cedar Waxwings yesterday morning as they perched in willows next to a creek and while they were on the wing catching insects in the Wasatch Mountains.

Male American Goldfinch Lifting Off From A Musk Thistle

By |2021-05-09T04:06:20-05:00August 4th, 2019|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I kept my focus on this male American Goldfinch and when he lifted off I was able to take a photo with his wings raised just as he started to take flight.

Californian Richard Parker Convicted For Mass Killing Of Raptors

By |2022-10-04T04:38:59-05:00April 13th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Justice has been served in the case of Richard Parker killing the 150 raptors but that does not bring those valuable raptors back. Parker should be glad that I wasn't his judge.

More Photos Of The Rufous Red-tailed Hawk Female

By |2024-04-02T11:20:17-05:00April 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.

Rufous Morph Red-tailed Hawk Taking Flight Photos

By |2021-01-28T15:15:01-06:00March 22nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

By the time I took this next image in the series the Red-tailed Hawk had straightened her legs, her wings were high over her body and she was pushing off from the rock.

One Stunning Rufous Red-tailed Hawk – How Finding It Saved My Day

By |2023-12-11T02:49:40-06:00March 13th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I hadn't found and pointed out this stunning rufous Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning I would have basically come home without a single decent image of a bird.

Male American Kestrel In A Tree At Farmington Bay

By |2021-12-28T05:31:30-06:00February 11th, 2019|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took a long series of photos of this male American Kestrel in a tree at Farmington Bay WMA back in January and decided that I liked these two photos of the kestrel the best.

Common Mergansers Lifting Off In Sweet Golden Light

By |2024-03-13T07:05:08-05:00November 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Swans, Ducks and Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm fortunate that I live near two ponds here in Salt Lake City where I can find Common Mergansers at this time of the year and I appreciate being able to photograph them so close to home.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk at East Canyon State Park

By |2021-05-03T03:31:23-05:00November 6th, 2018|Categories: Birds, East Canyon State Park, Hawks, Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures, Morgan County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to photograph two immature Red-tailed Hawks at East Canyon State Park and the photos I am sharing today are of the first one that I found.

European Starling Facts and Information

By |2021-04-20T13:06:04-05:00October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, European Starlings, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Personally I am fascinated by European Starling murmurations, their interesting, beautiful plumage and how they can mimic the calls and songs of other birds.

Cooperative Northern Mockingbird in Autumn

By |2024-04-01T12:40:29-05:00October 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Mockingbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some days one good bird is all I get and if I hadn't spotted this cooperative Mockingbird on a Fragrant Sumac in northern Utah yesterday I would have been mostly skunked.

Rough-legged Hawks Have Returned & Expect Big Changes At Bear River MBR

By |2023-10-25T18:21:56-05:00October 17th, 2018|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My big excitement yesterday morning was seeing my first, second and third of the year Rough-legged Hawks at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the next thing was seeing all the changes that have happened at the refuge since my last visit.

Greater Yellowlegs Landing & Lifting Off At Bear River MBR

By |2021-08-17T07:57:44-05:00August 20th, 2018|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Because of the avocet's determination to chase off this Greater Yellowlegs I was able to photograph it lifting off from the water with water still dripping from its feet and with the shorebird's head framed by its wings.

Female and Male American Goldfinches Lifting Off From Musk Thistles

By |2021-05-09T04:04:07-05:00August 19th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the female American Goldfinch lifted off I liked the eye contact I had with her and how graceful she looked when she raised her wings, when I saw this image on my camera LCD I just had to smile.

Warbling Vireo About To Lift Off – A Vireo Photo I’m Happy With

By |2021-05-18T16:40:58-05:00August 16th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I could wish that the Warbling Vireo had hung around longer so that I could have taken many more images of it but I'm thrilled that I was able to take any photos of the bird at all.

American Goldfinch Perched on a dried Musk Thistle Blossom & Short Video Clip

By |2024-02-22T06:39:44-06:00July 27th, 2018|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Video, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I am keeping it short and sweet and sharing one photo of a male American Goldfinch perched on a dried Musk Thistle blossom plus a short video clip I took of him as he lifted off and flew away.

Sibling Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles Perched & On The Wing

By |2021-03-15T09:22:43-05:00July 17th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Back in March of this year I started watching and photographing a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the process of building their nest on the face of a high cliff, these two juveniles are the results of the hard work of that pair of hawks.

Rufous Morph Red-tailed Hawk – Finally Some Photos in Good Light

By |2021-09-19T05:40:38-05:00May 9th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have been trying to photograph this rufous morph Red-tailed Hawk in good light since the first time I spotted her on the 24th of March in northern Utah, yesterday I finally accomplished that goal.

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