Looking Ahead To Winter
We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.
Pair of Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley
I was delighted to find quite a few Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley of Montana last week and this pair was close enough to photograph.
Calling Juvenile Black-necked Stilt
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management area is a great place to see Black-necked Stilts during the breeding season and to see their young later on.
Female American Kestrel On A Frosty Winter Morn
American Kestrels are year round residents in Utah and when the cold sets in they are less skittish and will allow closer approaches.
Hovering Forster’s Tern
Last week I photographed this adult Forster's Tern in flight as it foraged for food above Glover Pond near Farmington Bay WMA.
Making A Splash – A Foraging Snowy Egret
I enjoy watching Snowy Egrets foraging for prey and I had the opportunity to do that up close last week at Glover Pond with this egret.
White-faced Ibis
There were quite a few White-faced Ibis on Glover Pond near the Great Salt Lake Nature Center and I focused on them for a bit.
American Kestrel Lift Off
American Kestrels are a challenge to photograph when they are in flight or lifting off because they move so quickly and in low light it can be even harder.
Wigeon Pond, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana
The amazing birds and animals keep me going back to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge but the scenery and wildness of the area does too.
American White Pelican And A Cloudy Sky
If you ever get to Utah be sure to try to spend a morning or even a full day at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge because there is always something great going on there!
Longing for Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
It is raining here in the valley this morning and snow is falling in the high country in the middle of June so I am sitting here dreaming of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
American Avocets at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer to observe and photograph nesting birds and take in the beauty of the refuge.
Western Grebe About To Submerge
I often try to capture the eye of a bird diving into the water at the moment just before the eye submerges below the surface. I was able to succeed with the Western Grebe.
Clark’s Grebes And Their Young
Clark's Grebes and their young are fascinating subjects to watch and photograph.
Reflections And A Western Grebe
The water impoundments at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge are alive with the sounds of calling Western Grebes once again.
Banking American Kestrel Female
The term "Banking" in my title doesn't mean this female American Kestrel is heading to the closest ATM or to a local branch of Wells Fargo because this little beauty doesn't care one cent about money!
Springtime Male Red-winged Blackbird At Farmington Bay
Yesterday morning's sunny weather felt lovely compared to Sunday which was gray, windy, rainy and snowy and maybe this male Red-winged Blackbird was feeling the difference in weather too.
Female American Kestrel With Prey
American Kestrels are fascinating falcons, they are tiny, colorful and at times quite pugnacious.
Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
In yesterday's post I mentioned that I have seen my first of the year American Avocets and not long after they arrive Black-necked Stilts will also be making their appearance too.
Caution: Spring Birds Ahead
It won't be long before the American White Pelicans are back at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge which is where I photographed the pelican in the image above last spring.
Gray Flycatcher at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Gray Flycatchers are generally found in sagebrush and arid busy habitats so it was a real treat to see this one in the marshy habitat of the refuge.
Resting Northern Harrier
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Area used to be my "go to" place for photographing Northern Harriers but this winter they are hard to find.
Ring-necked Pheasants ~ A Splash Of Color In A Field Of White
Male Ring-necked Pheasants add a vivid splash of color against a field of white at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, I photographed this male a few days ago as it foraged in the snow.
Song Sparrow Foraging On A Cold Winter Morning
While photographing Barn Owls last January I caught a small movement out of the corner of my eye and noticed a Song Sparrow foraging for seeds on the snow covered ground.
Rough-legged Hawk lifting off
Rough-legged Hawks are among my favorites of the raptors that over winter in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah because I only see them at this time of the year while they wait to head back to the subarctic and Arctic to breed.
Barn Owl Blur
Last week I did a post on the many nicknames used for Barn Owls and among them was "Ghost Owl" and for some reason when I first looked at this frame I thought the blurred wings did make it look "ghostly".
American Barn Owl On A Snowbank
I spotted this beautiful American Barn Owl on a snow bank yesterday along the side of a dirt road at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah.
One Gray Ghost A Leaping
I couldn't find Ten Lords a Leaping to photograph or in my archives but did locate one Gray Ghost a Leaping which tops the Lords for this bird photographer.
Fire In The Sky, Fog And A Female American Kestrel
The American Kestrel had just finished devouring a small bird of some sort, I really couldn't tell what it was because there were only a few small feathers left by the time I spotted the tiny falcon and when we stopped to photographer her.
First winter Common Goldeneye male
Common Goldeneyes are diving sea ducks that over winter in the Salt Lake Valley where I see and photograph them at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park and at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.