Sharing Sunrise With Short-eared Owl Chicks
I spent a few minutes photographing some of the cutest Short-eared Owl chicks that were just the width of a ditch away from the road that May morning.
Female Northern Harrier In Flight Over The Flats At Farmington Bay
The adult female Northern Harrier was in flight in wonderful, warm morning light and I couldn't resist raising my lens and taking photos of her as she flew past.
Resting Adult Black-crowned Night Heron
About two weeks ago I was able to photograph two Black-crowned Night Herons, one was immature and the other was an adult.
Early Morning Immature Black-crowned Night Heron
I spent some time yesterday morning focused on photographing an immature Black-crowned Night Heron at the dawn of the day in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA.
American Herring Gulls At Farmington Bay WMA
I like gulls. I love to photograph gulls. I enjoy watching gulls in flight, on the ground, and fighting over food. I just do. I'm proud to be a gull enthusiast.
I Should Have Listened To My Instincts Yesterday
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.
Song Sparrows In The Marsh Of Farmington Bay
I probably see Song Sparrows more often and in more habitats than any other sparrow species here in Utah. I am delighted by that.
Photographing White-crowned Sparrows At Farmington Bay
When autumn arrives White-crowned Sparrows are one of the sparrow species that I look forward to photographing at Farmington Bay WMA each year as they move down to lower elevations.
Swallow Quartet – Bank, Barn, Cliff And Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR
I was glad to be able to photograph Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows perched on top of a stand of phragmites near the auto tour route on the refuge in early morning light.
Ruby-crowned Kinglets – Challenging Subjects
Ruby-crowned Kinglets always seem to be on the move and blend into their habitat well which makes them challenging subjects to photograph. I love the challenge of photographing small birds though.
Photographing An Adult Willow Flycatcher On Various Branches
It seems that I have spent a lot of time photographing Willow Flycatchers this year and I am happy that I have because I enjoying taking photos of these flycatchers.
Winter American Barn Owls In Flight During Daylight Are Hungry
I always feel fortunate when I am able to photograph winter Barn Owls in flight during daylight hours but that means that these gorgeous owls are struggling to stay alive and that is a concern for me.
Foraging White-faced Ibis With Frost On Its Tail
It isn't too late to see and photograph White-faced Ibis at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah because there are still a few of them hanging around despite the frigid temps during the nights and mornings.
More California Quail In My Viewfinder
Yesterday I photographed a small covey of California Quail, this the second time this month that I have seen and photographed these small upland game birds that have wiggly, little head plumes.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Photographed in Golden Light
The same morning that I photographed the Sage Thrasher with the berry in mid air I was also able to take a series of images of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the sweet golden light just after dawn.
Snowy Egret Landing Sequence Plus Two Bonus Photos
Four days ago I was able to photograph a Snowy Egret landing sequence that I liked because of the action of the bird, the setting and the lovely lighting I had at the time.
Snowy Egrets in Flight On A September Morning
It has been a while since I photographed Snowy Egrets so having them in my viewfinder yesterday morning was a real treat especially since they will be migrating soon and I will go the winter without seeing them.
Snowy Plovers – Photographed in the West and East
It is always nice to be able to point out a lifer bird to someone else and that is what I did on June 25th after I spotted a tiny Snowy Plover at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge foraging in the mud.
Sagebrush Country & Short-eared Owls
I see and photograph Short-eared Owls in Sagebrush Country quite often. I spend a lot of time in areas where there is sagebrush dotting the desert, steppes and hillsides here in Utah and I find these amazing owls there.
Male Short-eared Owl Showing His Ear Tufts
Most often I see the ear tufts of Short-eared Owls when they are on alert, when there is a wind blowing the tufts from behind the owl or when they appear curious about something they can see or hear.
Surprise Cooper’s Hawk in the Wasatch Mountains
There are days when one bird can "make" the day great for me as a bird photographer, yesterday that bird was a Cooper's Hawk in a Wasatch Mountain canyon east of Salt Lake City.
Turkey Vultures aka Turkey Buzzards
I grew up calling Turkey Vultures by the name "Turkey Buzzards" and every once in a blue moon I still unintentionally slip and call them by their nickname instead of their proper common name.
Bear River MBR Marsh Wren perched on rushes
Marsh Wrens are small, brown, secretive birds with dark caps, thin bills, whitish eyelines and bold black and white patterns on their backs that usually hold their tails in an upright position.
Short-eared Owl – Comparing Early to Mid Morning Light On My Subject
While this final image shows a beautiful Short-eared Owl, nice sharpness and details when I compare it to the first photo it just isn't as visually appealing to me as the first photo which was taken in softer light.
Preening Great Blue Heron In The Gulf Of Mexico
This photo of a preening Great Blue Heron on an old stump in the water of the Gulf of Mexico is far from perfect but I still like it for the behavior that it shows.
Adult Western Burrowing Owl On An Old Fence Post
I love all birds, even birds that some people tend to ignore when it comes to bird photography but I have to admit that I am particularly fond of photographing owls, especially Burrowing Owls.
Swainson’s Hawks Along the Road
There are so many Swainson's Hawks in northern Utah right now, I see them perched, on their nests, hovering over fields and soaring on the thermals after the sun warms up the air.
Young Burrowing Owl on a Post in Morning Light
Two years ago in July I photographed this young Burrowing Owl on a post in morning light and I relaxed and let a smile form on my lips.
Nomadic Short-eared Owls
Short-eared Owls are nomadic because they follow their main prey which is voles and if the vole population is low the Short-eared Owl density will also be low.
First Snow of the Year – Winter Birds Ahead
Well, it finally snowed in the Salt Lake Valley last night and when I woke there was a layer of snow on the grass outside my window.