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I’m Still Looking For This Leucistic American Coot

By |2024-01-26T13:36:50-07:00January 26th, 2024|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Rarities, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I remember feeling very thrilled when I found this leucistic American Coot on January 2, 2023. I'd been hoping to find a leucistic coot for quite a long time.

My 2022 Year In Review

By |2023-11-10T04:24:07-07:00December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

Surprise Swamp Sparrow At Bear River MBR

By |2022-11-02T03:14:23-06:00November 1st, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Swamp Sparrows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning, I was surprised to find a Swamp Sparrow near the far southern corner of the auto tour loop.

Male Belted Kingfisher Plus A Rare Migrant Northern Waterthrush

By |2021-08-24T06:18:14-06:00August 24th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Northern Waterthrushes, Rarities, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I hadn't been sitting exactly where I was at the time I was photographing the Belted Kingfisher I would have missed out on seeing this rare Northern Waterthrush.

Finding Two Uncommon Birds In One Week – Rusty Blackbird And Common Grackle

By |2023-11-30T03:43:46-07:00December 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Grackles, Davis County, Rusty Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Finding two uncommon birds this week at the same olive tree really has me buzzed and to finally see a Rusty Blackbird has made me feel like jumping over the moon.

Looking Back On Photographing A Rare Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk

By |2023-05-05T10:10:15-06:00November 16th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Leucistic, Rarities, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though it is now four years later I still look for this striking leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Tooele County and hope to find and photograph it again one day.

Photographing My First Green Heron In Northern Utah

By |2023-10-16T08:27:04-06:00September 24th, 2020|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Green Herons, Long-tailed Weasels, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a terrific "season opener" for me yesterday thanks to my keen observation skills at Farmington Bay WMA with a Green Heron, one-eared Long-tailed Weasel and a one-eyed American White Pelican.

Four Years Ago Today I Found A Rare Upland Sandpiper

By |2022-05-27T13:19:08-06:00August 31st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rarities, Upland Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today stopping for a Golden Eagle perched on a power pole in Box Elder County would net me a rare Upland Sandpiper sighting because of the sandpiper's chattering call.

My Rare Mountain Plover Sighting Happened Almost Seven Years Ago

By |2021-03-14T14:39:37-06:00April 7th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My rare Mountain Plover sighting happened almost seven years ago on Antelope Island State Park when I spotted, identified and photographed of the plovers during spring migration.

Rare Brown Pelican At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-06-14T13:31:08-06:00September 5th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Brown Pelicans, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Brown Pelican didn't do much while I had it in my viewfinder and I probably took way too many photos of it but I don't care, it was unique to see here in land-locked Utah and the setting of the Bear River was definitely different than the many times I have photographed this species back East.

My Rare Baltimore Oriole Sighting In Northern Utah

By |2022-05-11T03:14:53-06:00August 24th, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I didn't go up into the Wasatch Mountains yesterday thinking I would find a rare bird but that is precisely what happened after I spotted a beautiful male Baltimore Oriole fly into a serviceberry bush in Morgan County.

Hovering Northern Harrier Plus My Lifer Harris’s Sparrow

By |2023-09-16T04:55:34-06:00March 20th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Harris's Sparrow, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In some shrubs next to Glover Pond I saw two sparrows and the one that quickly drew my eye was a lovely first winter Harris's Sparrow, jackpot, a lifer!

Water Dance of Leucistic Eared Grebes on the Great Salt Lake

By |2023-01-03T02:36:51-07:00July 22nd, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Eared Grebes, Leucistic, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I will probably never see and photograph so many leucistic Eared Grebes again in my life time as I did yesterday on the Great Salt Lake.

Partially Leucistic Adult Red-tailed Hawk in Flight – A Rare and Wonderful Sight!

By |2023-01-03T03:08:03-07:00November 15th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Leucistic, Rarities, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the partially leucistic Red-tailed Hawk lifted off from the power pole I was able to capture photos of it in flight and I was stunned by the beauty of the hawk, pictures do not do this bird justice.

Western Bluebirds in Tooele County

By |2023-02-24T07:00:09-07:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Bluebirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seeing these uncommon Western Bluebirds in Tooele County in the Stansbury Mountain Range yesterday is part of why I love bird photography so much.

Utah Gyrfalcon Lifer and cruddy photos

By |2023-11-17T07:29:14-07:00February 12th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Gyrfalcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This could be the seventh record of a Gyrfalcon in Utah, we will have to wait and see if it accepted. I hope the bird sticks around so that other people can see it.

Mountain Plovers – Technology Today Is Amazing

By |2021-03-14T14:42:48-06:00April 3rd, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seven days shy of a year ago I found two rare Mountain Plovers in the White Rock Bay area of Antelope Island State Park and lately I have been hoping to see them again.

Mountain Plover on Antelope Island State Park

By |2024-01-15T10:29:55-07:00December 3rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight months ago I spotted two Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island State Park and I am still blown away by seeing and photographing those beautiful shorebirds who are uncommon in Utah.

Ghosts of the Prairie – Mountain Plovers

By |2024-01-15T10:27:11-07:00July 8th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On April 10th I spotted two Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island State Park after reporting it to the UBIRD birding list many birders and bird photographers sped to the island to see these birds which are a rarity in this area.

Mountain Plovers – Comparing two similar looking species

By |2024-01-15T10:21:39-07:00April 23rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Killdeer, Mountain Plovers, Pinellas County, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are a few similar species that occur in Utah and surrounding states that could be confused with Mountain Plovers.

A Few Bird Images From This Past Week

By |2024-01-15T10:25:08-07:00April 13th, 2013|Categories: American Avocets, Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Great Egrets, Long-billed Curlews, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!

Rare Sight to See – Walking And Standing Pied-billed Grebes

By |2022-03-04T04:55:15-07:00October 23rd, 2012|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was an unusual experience to see these Pied-billed Grebes standing upright and walking on the edge of this pond, some might even consider it rare.

Harlequin Ducks Dead – Just because it is legal that doesn’t make it right!

By |2024-01-22T19:19:38-07:00December 10th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Harlequin Ducks, Utah, Wildlife Ethics & Etiquette|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

To those hunters who recognized and respected the rarity of those beautiful and very uncommon birds, you have my respect and I am personally very grateful that you preferred to give these ducks a pass even though you knew that hunting them was legal.

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