Great Blue Heron hunkered down against winter’s brutal cold
Last December I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it hunkered down against the brutal cold at the edge of the water in a marsh.
Last December I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it hunkered down against the brutal cold at the edge of the water in a marsh.
I write about the raptors I expect to see during the winter in Utah but there are also song birds I keep an eye out for too like this immature Northern Shrike.
When I lived in Virginia I could almost predict when the first snow would fall because the juncos showed at my feeders up a day or two before the first winter storm.
I was delighted to spot this male Downy Woodpecker in the willows the last time I went out to Farmington Bay Bird Refuge.
Shorebirds are still migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and Farmington Bay WMA and there have been quite a few Greater Yellowlegs in the area.
Lately it has been wonderful to see and photograph more birds including raptors. I think the long dry spell that started the end of July might be over finally.
I'm seeing more and more Pied-billed Grebes and that excites me because these little guys might be small but they are tough. They kind of remind me of myself.
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.
Autumn colors have begun to appear and they are delightful when reflected on the water with a nearly black and white subject like this resting Clark's Grebe.
This male Red-winged Blackbird was photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
This young Raccoon looks as grumpy as I feel this morning.
We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management area is a great place to see Black-necked Stilts during the breeding season and to see their young later on.
I am a part of the wild things even though my outsides might be adorned with the trappings of civilization my heartbeat still tells me I am wild.
I wonder if these two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks will hang around for the winter, I sure hope so.
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.
This Great Blue Heron landed briefly on a willow that was along the road at Farmington Bay but before I could get my exposure set correctly it took flight.
I enjoy watching Snowy Egrets foraging for prey and I had the opportunity to do that up close last week at Glover Pond with this egret.
There were quite a few White-faced Ibis on Glover Pond near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center and I focused on them for a bit.
Yesterday I focused on a few wading birds I saw at Glover Pond near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center and that include Great Blue Herons and White-faced Ibis.
American Kestrels are a challenge to photograph when they are in flight or lifting off because they move so quickly and in low light it can be even harder.
Earlier this month while I was in Montana I spent time photographing some Savannah Sparrows at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
The amazing birds and animals keep me going back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge but the scenery and wildness of the area does too.
If you ever get to Utah be sure to try to spend a morning or even a full day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because there is always something great going on there!
It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer to observe and photograph nesting birds and take in the beauty of the refuge.
I often try to capture the eye of a bird diving into the water at the moment just before the eye submerges below the surface. I was able to succeed with the Western Grebe.
Clark's Grebes and their young are fascinating subjects to watch and photograph.
The water impoundments at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge are alive with the sounds of calling Western Grebes once again.
The term "Banking" in my title doesn't mean this female American Kestrel is heading to the closest ATM or to a local branch of Wells Fargo because this little beauty doesn't care one cent about money!