December for Utah and Florida Great Blue Herons – What a Difference
The lives of these Great Blue Herons sure are different when you compare December in Utah to December in Florida.
Winter Views of California Quail in Northern Utah
I was able to photograph several California Quail in snow yesterday in Davis County, Utah and I was also able to listen to at least one male calling.
Side By Side Prairie and Peregrine Falcon Comparison
There are other differences in plumage between Prairie and Peregrine Falcons that show in my photos but by using just their heads it is possible to make a quick ID in the field.
Birds and Beasts in a November 2012 Snow Storm on Antelope Island
The birds and beasts on Antelope can survive the harsh winters here but as each years passes I wonder how they will be able to adapt to our changing climate. I can't help but be concerned.
Bear River MBR Barn Owls in Flight – All Small in the Frame
By having the Barn Owls smaller in the frame in my photos I can share more visual information about where these beautiful owls live, hunt and thrive.
Winter Ring-billed Gull Adult
I photographed this adult Ring-billed Gull last winter at my local pond and loved the snow in the frame, the muted colors of the gull's plumage and the pops of color in the eye and bill of the gull.
Male Belted Kingfisher in Winter at Farmington Bay WMA
Belted Kingfishers are year round residents in northern Utah but my best opportunities to photograph them at Farmington Bay WMA are during the winter.
Winter Common Mergansers – A Visual Break From The Summer Heat
Back in February there was still snow on the ground, ice on the water and Common Mergansers were at Farmington Bay WMA and some were sporting their breeding plumage.
Preening Ring-billed Gull in a Snow Storm
I photographed this preening Ring-billed Gull in a snow storm in January of this year at a pond near where I live and it was pretty chilly that day.
Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert
Yesterday I was able to photograph the largest buteo in North America, a gorgeous Ferruginous Hawk that was on top of a hill with the Stansbury Mountains of the West Desert in the background.
My First of Year Swainson’s Hawk and April Snow on Antelope Island
My best find of the day was my first of the year Swainson's Hawk about two thirds of the way down the island perched in some trees near a freshwater spring.
Black-billed Magpie on the Rocks of Antelope Island
When I found a Black-billed Magpie on the rocks close to the road below Frary Peak I was happy to photograph it there.
Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in a Snow Storm
It was my photos of a Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in the snow storm that touched me the most even though both birds are small in the frame.
Immature Rough-legged Hawk With Its Jackrabbit Prey
My best bird of the day was a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk standing on a jackrabbit in the snow that I spotted next to the road.
Gray Partridges in Snow and Low Light – Frustrations in Bird Photography
The surprise birds of the day were Gray Partridges in an area where I hadn't seen them before and they were feeding close to the edge of the road.
Rough-legged Hawk, Lichens and Snow
When I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock the light was decent and brought out the colors of the hawk and the orange lichen covering the rocky outcropping it was perched on.
Coyote and a Vole on a Dreary Winter Day
I did not see many birds that dreary day but I did have fun photographing a Coyote hunting, catching and consuming a vole in low light conditions.
Portraits of Ring-billed Gulls in a Snow Storm
I'm glad I took these portraits of Ring-billed Gulls in a snow storm, they will remind me of a gray, cold, stormy January day when I was just crazy enough to sit and photograph birds as snowflakes fell from the sky.
Progress versus Growth
There are some that say the state can better care for those lands. I'd call them fools but we humans are all distant cousins so I'll tame that down a bit and call them misled instead. Intentionally and deliberately misled.
Peregrine Falcon in the Snow – My Best Find of the Day
My best find of the day was a Peregrine Falcon in the snow perched on a colorful boulder with a snowy background.
Moon Set Over the Snowy Promontory Mountains and a Deceased Golden Eagle
Further down the road I spotted a dark lump on the shoulder and my heart sank because I immediately realized that the lump was a deceased Golden Eagle.
Prairie Falcon with Prey in Box Elder County, Utah (Graphic)
The Prairie Falcon I photographed had prey and that may be why it was less skittish. I have no idea what the prey is but it is larger than a vole and had fur not feathers.
Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay
Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.
Ring-billed Gull with Crayfish in the Snow – Plus Our Crazy Weather in Northern Utah Right Now
Last week while I was photographing birds at the local pond I saw a Ring-billed Gull catch a crayfish at the shoreline then it gobbled it up quickly before the rest of the gulls realized it had food.
Frustrations of Bird Photography at Below Freezing Temps – Heat Waves Suck
Every single image I took yesterday was way softer than they would have been had it not been for those heat waves coming up the side of the pickup. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly.
Raccoon on Ice at Farmington Bay on New Years Day
While photographing a Great Blue Heron at the first bridge I spotted a dark shape running, slipping and sliding on the snow-covered ice and could see that it was a Raccoon.
Immature Great Blue Heron in a Snow Storm
As I focused on the Great Blue Heron I could tell it was an immature bird braving its first winter alone in the marshes of Farmington Bay.
Wintertime Wilson’s Snipes in Snow
Wilson's Snipes are medium-sized, stocky shorebirds that can be found in Utah year round despite the ice, freezing temperatures and heavy snow we have here during our winters.
First year Red-tailed Hawk Close Up in a Snow Storm
This first year Red-tailed Hawk close up in the snow storm was a reminder of how much our birds and wildlife have to struggle to get through the harsh winter.
Happy Holidays From Me To You
I woke this morning to several inches of fresh snow on the ground, our first heavy snowfall of the winter in the Salt Lake Valley arrived just in time for Christmas Day.