rocks

Groundhog Day 2022 – What It Means To Me In Utah

By |2022-02-02T05:38:53-06:00February 2nd, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Groundhog Day is simply another day where I grow even more concerned about life giving water here in Utah. I'm not superstitious. I rely on facts.

Squirrel Appreciation Day 2022

By |2022-01-21T06:24:38-06:00January 21st, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day around the globe. There are many reasons to appreciate these furry, four legged, cute creatures. 

Yellow-bellied Marmot Out And About In January

By |2022-01-16T05:10:02-06:00January 16th, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found and pointed out dozens of birds yesterday but the biggest surprise to me was spotting a Yellow-bellied Marmot out and about in the middle of January.

American Pipits In My Viewfinder

By |2021-12-05T04:54:33-06:00December 5th, 2021|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been seeing and hearing American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.

Dark Morph Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off With Prey

By |2023-05-05T10:06:04-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spotted this dark morph Red-tailed Hawk high on a cliff and I was able to photograph him as he lifted off with prey in his talons.

American Pipits – AKA Buff-bellied Pipits

By |2022-05-26T09:54:42-05:00November 2nd, 2021|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been hearing American Pipits since around the end of September but so far this year I haven't been able to photograph even one of these birds.

Fall Wild Turkey Hen Foraging On Desert Ranchlands

By |2021-10-19T05:47:35-05:00October 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first photos I took with my newly refurbished Nikon D500 with a new shutter assembly were of this Wild Turkey hen foraging on desert ranchlands.

Snow Dusted Views Of Utah’s West Desert Mountains

By |2021-10-14T06:47:43-05:00October 14th, 2021|Categories: Tooele County, Trees, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw snow on Utah's West Desert mountains for the first time since late spring so I thought I'd share a few views of what I saw while out there yesterday morning.

On The Lookout For My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawk

By |2022-04-26T09:25:16-05:00October 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am now on the lookout for my first of season Rough-legged Hawk. I hope to spot one soon.

Immature Light Morph Red-tailed Hawk Plus A Dark Morph Adult

By |2021-09-19T05:36:07-05:00September 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted the light colored breast of this immature light morph Red-tailed Hawk from a distance it seemed to glow in the morning light.

Hatch Year Spotted Sandpiper at Bear River MBR

By |2021-08-10T05:30:55-05:00August 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was looking through my older images and came across this one of a hatch year Spotted Sandpiper on some rocks at Bear River MBR.

Franklin’s Gull Feasting On Brine Flies Plus News About The Great Salt Lake

By |2021-08-22T06:05:28-05:00July 25th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While Franklin's Gulls are in northern Utah for their breeding season brine flies are an important food source for the adults and their young and are a part of their breeding success here in the Great Basin.

Uinta Chipmunks In The High Uinta Mountains

By |2021-06-09T04:06:50-05:00June 8th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Chipmunks, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent yesterday morning traveling Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta Mountains and came home with a few photos of Uinta Chipmunks.

Singing Rock Wren In The West Desert

By |2023-03-31T15:45:16-05:00May 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday when I spotted a Rock Wren singing from the top of a juniper in Utah's West Desert I hoped to take a few decent photos of it before it flew away.

Spring Turkey Vulture And A View From The Road

By |2024-03-20T12:46:31-05:00March 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph a spring Turkey Vulture warming up in the morning light from a rural road in Box Elder County.

Male Rough-legged Hawk Photos

By |2022-04-20T21:21:48-05:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I photographed a light morph, adult male Rough-legged Hawk in the West Desert of Utah with three different backgrounds.

Ferruginous And Rough-legged Hawk Lift Off Photos

By |2022-04-20T21:22:12-05:00February 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to take Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawk lift off photos where both of the raptors still had their feet on their perches.

Yellow-bellied Marmot That Should Be Hibernating

By |2022-01-16T03:51:17-06:00February 8th, 2021|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Wildlife, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Yellow-bellied Marmot in these photos should be hibernating until mid-March. I spotted it wide awake yesterday on a rocky slope in northern Utah.

Winter Female American Kestrel Photos

By |2021-02-03T11:58:23-06:00February 3rd, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was able to take female American Kestrel photos from the causeway to Antelope Island State Park twice.

A Cook’s Memorial? Odd Things I Find While Looking For Birds

By |2021-01-19T06:03:13-06:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Miscellaneous, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As best as I can figure out what is in this photo is a cook's memorial that I found 7 years ago today out on a range in Utah's West Desert.

First Winter Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2021-09-23T08:56:59-05:00December 16th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years and one day ago I only photographed two birds on a trip out into the West Desert and this light morph Ferruginous Hawk made the trip well worth the journey out into the cold.

Wild Utah Mink Tests Positive For Coronavirus

By |2023-10-02T16:46:36-05:00December 15th, 2020|Categories: American Badgers, American Mink, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Long-tailed Weasels, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm concerned for our wild American Mink and have begun to wonder of the coronavirus could be passed to the other native mustelids here in Utah.

Photographing An Immature Great Blue Heron At Farmington Bay

By |2022-08-25T07:00:43-05:00November 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I spotted an immature Great Blue Heron resting at the edge of the water at Farmington Bay WMA and couldn't resist taking photos of it.

Red-tailed Hawk Nesting Season Has Begun!

By |2022-10-04T04:41:23-05:00March 28th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The female Red-tailed Hawk blended into the lichen covered cliff face so well that even with my sharp eyesight I didn't see her until the male landed next to her.

American Pipits In Sweet Morning Light

By |2021-11-02T05:45:12-05:00March 3rd, 2020|Categories: American Pipits, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These are a few of my favorite photos that I have taken of American Pipits. Ever. Part of the reason they are my favorites is because of the sweet morning light.

Great Horned Owl In Desert Habitat

By |2024-03-05T05:35:32-06:00November 28th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Great Horned Owls, Mt. Moriah Wilderness Area, Nevada, White Pine County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I reached back into my archives and found this photo of a side lit Great Horned Owl in desert habitat that I spotted from one of the dirt access roads that lead to the Mt. Moriah Wilderness of eastern Nevada in 2012.

Go to Top