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.
Time to look for Northern Shrikes
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.
Snow Birds – Dark-eyed Juncos
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.
Downy Woodpecker In The Willows At Farmington Bay
I was delighted to spot this male Downy Woodpecker in the willows the last time I went out to Farmington Bay Bird Refuge.
Pair of Greater Yellowlegs in flight
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.
Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off
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.
Pied-billed Grebe Shaking It Off
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.
Juvenile Dark Morph Harlan’s Hawk
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 And A Resting Clark’s Grebe
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.
Red-winged Blackbird and a Midge
This male Red-winged Blackbird was photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Young Raccoon On A Duckweed Mat
This young Raccoon looks as grumpy as I feel this morning.
Looking Ahead To Winter
We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.
Calling Juvenile Black-necked Stilt
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.
An Afternoon At Red Rock Lakes
Afternoon at Red Rock Lakes I took this image of the Lower Lake at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge while I was settled in at the campground, doing something I don’t always do enough of out in the field, just sitting still and taking it all in. There wasn’t any rush. No chasing light. No scanning nonstop for movement. Just a quiet stretch of time where the land and sky did all the work. The breeze moved through the grasses in front of me, soft and steady, carrying the sounds of birds nearby and from across the lake. I could hear them clearly, but they were scattered, not loud or chaotic. It felt balanced. Calm. The kind of moment where nothing needs to happen for it to be enough. Out over the water, the clouds were putting on their own show. Sunlight slipped in and out, lighting up sections of the hills and then letting them fall back into shadow. It changed by the minute, subtle but constant, like the whole scene was breathing. I remember thinking how easy [...]
There Are Some Who Can Live Without Wild Things
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.
Fighting Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles
I wonder if these two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks will hang around for the winter, I sure hope so.
Female American Kestrel On A Frosty Winter Morn
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.
Great Blue Heron’s Flight Over Farmington Bay
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.
Making A Splash – A Foraging Snowy Egret
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.
White-faced Ibis
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.
Glover Pond with Great Blue Herons and White-faced Ibis
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 Kestrel Lift Off
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.
Foraging Savannah Sparrow
Earlier this month while I was in Montana I spent time photographing some Savannah Sparrows at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana
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.
American White Pelican And A Cloudy Sky
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!
Longing for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
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.
American Avocets at the Bear River Migratory Bird 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.
Western Grebe About To Submerge
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
Clark's Grebes and their young are fascinating subjects to watch and photograph.
Reflections And A Western Grebe
The water impoundments at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge are alive with the sounds of calling Western Grebes once again.