Ferruginous Hawk in Tooele County, Utah
There aren't many people in the west desert of Utah thus the raptors and other birds that live there are not habituated to people so they are very skittish even when using a mobile blind.
Merlin Perched In A Tree ~ Friday Photos
Merlins are winter visitors in the Salt Lake Valley so I have just a few more weeks to attempt photographing them. Merlins are used to be called "pigeon hawks" because their shape and flight patterns are similar to pigeons.
Friday Photos ~ Horned Lark and Western Meadowlark
Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks are birds that I enjoy photographing all year long in Utah and yesterday they gave me some wonderful opportunities.
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow ~ Friday Photos
White-crowned Sparrows can be seen foraging in the grasses, rabbitbrush and sagebrush that grow along the edge of the road.
The Bald Eagles are Returning to the Valley
During the summer months I don't often see Bald Eagles unless I go up into the high country or travel north of Utah to Idaho, Wyoming or Montana but in the Salt Lake Valley many Bald Eagles come in to spend the winter.
Cooperative Rough-legged Hawk Preening
Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.
More Rough-legged Hawks
I have been very pleased to add so many images of Rough-legged Hawks to my portfolio in just the past week and hopefully these Roughies will stick around until late February of next year so there will be many more opportunities.
Prairie Falcon – Eureka Again!
Wow, two nemesis birds photographed in a week, this Prairie Falcon was amazing. I'll be grinning (and dancing) about this for quite awhile!
Rough-legged Hawks
Eureka! The Rough-legged Hawks are back from their high subarctic and Arctic breeding grounds and they seem to be showing up in larger numbers than I have seen them since I moved to Utah.
Reddish Egrets
While I lived in Florida I took thousands (and thousands) of images of Reddish Egrets and I am very glad that I did because they are rarities in Utah, where I now live.
Common Raven – Friday Photos
Ravens hold a special place in my heart because they are smart (actually brilliant for birds), collectors of things shiny and/or odd, they let you know about their presence with hoarse croaking sounds and they are very amusing to observe and photograph.
Friday Photos – Short-eared Owl in Glacier County, Montana
I am always looking for the unexpected birds to show up in locations where I might not expect them them to be and this Short-eared Owl was a bit of a nice surprise.
Red-shouldered Hawk Juvenile
This very cooperative juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk was used to the people who frequented Sawgrass County Park and it would land very close to humans.
American Kestrel Male
The American Kestrel is our smallest falcon in North America but what they lack in size I feel they make up for in attitude.
The Savannah Sparrows of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
These Savannah Sparrows were nearly as much fun to observe as they were to photograph. They are very active birds and it was a challenge to keep up with them
One Willet’s Defense Of Its Young
Yesterday I observed an adult Willet defending its young from a group of Black-billed Magpies that were near the Willet's chicks.
American Barn Owls on Antelope Island
I really, really, really wish these young American Barn Owls had been perched on something that looked more natural than old bent metal with droppings all over it
Summer Lunacy – Nikon’s Image Overlay Function
Nikon's Image Overlay Function. Yes, I was experimenting with a little bit of Summer Lunacy. This is a bit whimsical and it makes me smile.
Cliff Swallow Juveniles
Cliff Swallows catch and eat flying insects of many species the wing so I adore them because they eat mosquitoes, an insect that I personally despise!
Black-billed Magpie Juveniles
Adults have black eyes, the Black-billed Magpie juveniles have blue, gray or even violet eyes.
Friday Photos: A Friendly Swainson’s Hawk
Last Friday I came upon this Swainson's Hawk; not just once but twice, perched on signs very close to the road.
A Shrike Kind Of Day
There are days when I see a certain species of birds quite often, depending on location it might be an Eagle filled day, or a Shorebird day. Today was a Shrike kind of day on Antelope Island State Park.
Western Kingbirds – My FOY
While I observed them one of the Western Kingbirds was actively hawking insects, swooping towards a bug then perching until it saw the next insect.
Birds – Close To Home
I can take advantage of the sucker holes by photographing birds close to home when the sun breaks through the clouds.
Burrowing Owls – Loved to Death?
What made me sick was that there were three of those people tromping around the owl's burrow. I mean RIGHT up on it. They had no need to be that close but they were.
Antelope Island Loggerhead Shrikes
Last week I wrote that I was looking forward to the birds that arrive here in the spring and yesterday I was able to photograph some of the Loggerhead Shrikes that I mentioned.
American Robin juvenile
American Robin juvenile photographed in my backyard in Utah as it perched above the grass. Robins are the largest and most abundant North American thrushes.
Red-tailed Hawks
I'm looking forward to seeing red-tailed hawks in the high country of Utah and Montana this summer and hopefully getting some more images of both the juveniles and adult.
An Amazing Encounter…Or Two With A Young Bald Eagle
I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.
Horned Larks In Utah
Yesterday was awesome for Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) in Tooele County, Utah.