Reasons Why We May Be Seeing Fewer Northern Harriers At Farmington Bay
I don't see nearly as many harriers over the marshes at Farmington Bay as I used to five to ten years ago but the marshes have changed some since I moved to northern Utah.
Molting Immature Clark’s Grebe Shaking Its Feathers
Our Clark's and Western Grebes will be leaving here soon and except for a few downy feathers on this one's forehead it looks like it is ready to take on its first migration.
Photographing A Cooperative Immature Cooper’s Hawk
I couldn't have asked for a better birdy subject yesterday morning than this relaxed and cooperative immature Cooper's Hawk and I loved the setting it was in too.
Hatch Year Cooper’s Hawk Resting In Sagebrush
Spotting this immature Cooper's Hawk resting in sagebrush yesterday was the highlight of my morning and even though the setting is messy I like that it shows this young hawk in the habitat this species can be found in.
Immature Turkey Vultures In Northern Utah
I don't have many decent photos of immature Turkey Vultures so when I spotted several of them 11 days ago in northern Utah I was excited but my hopes for good light on the hatch year birds were dashed by clouds.
Swallow Quartet – Bank, Barn, Cliff And Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR
I was glad to be able to photograph Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows perched on top of a stand of phragmites near the auto tour route on the refuge in early morning light.
Immature Swainson’s Hawk, Golden Light And Common Sunflowers
Two days ago I was able to photograph an immature Swainson's Hawk in golden light perched on a fence post that was surrounded by bright yellow common sunflowers. Yes, I was blissed out.
Photographing Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Siblings
I spent 26 minutes yesterday photographing juvenile Red-tailed Hawk siblings and had a blast watching them preen, lift off, flying, scratching, resting and landing.
Immature Northern Flicker In The Wasatch Mountains
This immature Northern Flicker was one of the last birds I spotted and photographed three days ago while up in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy that she stayed long enough for me to take a nice series of images of her.
Yellow Warbler In Willows
When this hatch year Yellow Warbler popped out into an open area of a willow thicket in a beam of sunlight I was happy to take its photo.
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco High In The Uinta Mountains
I was in the high Uinta Mountains near Washington Lake when I spotted this young Dark-eyed Junco and I was able to take a few images of it before it flew away.
Photographing Some Of The Birds I Love In The Wasatch Mountains
As a bird photographer I'm feeling a sense of urgency now that I didn't feel a few weeks ago because as I watch the migrants in the Wasatch Mountains getting ready for their long journeys I know that my time for photographing them this year is quickly running out.
Immature Black-billed Magpies Flocking In The Wasatch Mountains
I was delighted to photograph the few immature Black-billed Magpies that were close to me and to observe those who were further away foraging and chasing each other around in a field dotted with wildflowers, grasses and sage.
Focusing On Young Song Sparrows Near A Creek
I was glad to have so many immature Song Sparrows in my viewfinder that were out in the open on the ground and perched up higher.
Photographing Young Spotted Sandpiper Chicks
I was able to get back out into the field yesterday and I had a marvelous time photographing young Spotted Sandpiper chicks and learning more about their behaviors near a creek in the Wasatch Mountains.
Juvenile Song Sparrow Perched In A Thicket
The light wasn't great when I took this image of a juvenile Song Sparrow perched in a thicket last year but these little ones don't seem to spend a lot of time in the open right after they fledge so I was happy with the photo.
Immature Green-tailed Towhee Next To A Creek
This was the first immature Green-tailed Towhee I have seen this breeding season and I am hoping that it won't be the last one I photograph this year.
Tiny Spotted Sandpiper Chicks Learning About Their World
I was excited and enchanted by seeing and photographing at least two Spotted Sandpiper chicks yesterday morning near a creek up in the Wasatch Mountains.
My First Gray Catbird Juvenile Sighting Of The Season
I was extremely pleased to find and photograph my first Gray Catbird juvenile of this breeding season yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as it came into view on a hawthorn tree.
Juvenile Cliff Swallows At Bear River MBR
The soft, early morning light was beautiful when I took these juvenile Cliff Swallow images and I am pleased with how the photos came out.
Immature Say’s Phoebe In Northern Utah
It is always a thrill for me to photograph Say's Phoebes so when I spotted a family group of them yesterday morning in northern Utah I was delighted.
‘Tis The Season For Uinta Ground Squirrel Babies
I've been seeing baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and two days ago I was finally able to photograph some of the cute little balls of fur near their burrow.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Pups Greeting Each Other Outside Their Burrow
We didn't stay long at the Yellow-bellied Marmot burrow because I wanted to take my mom to the Spiral Jetty and we still had a long, dusty way to go but we enjoyed the time we had with the pups.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Family In Early Spring
The Yellow-bellied Marmot pup spent most of its time exploring the area around its burrow, climbing up and down the rocks, sitting, standing, scratching its fur, looking around and being a marmot pup in the wild where they belong.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Pup Warming Up On The Rocks
Yellow-bellied Marmots are also called "Whistle Pigs" and "Rock Chucks" so I have to wonder should I call their pups "Whistle Piglets" and "Rock Chucklets" or just call them cute and adorable?
Landing Immature Double-crested Cormorant Seeking Safety
This immature Double-crested Cormorant appears to be molting and probably needs all the rest it can get because of the molt and because winter is hard on these overwintering cormorants.
Adult And Immature Tundra Swans At Bear River MBR
I am itching to get back out into the field and one of the places I am most excited to get back to is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Box Elder County, Utah because of the Tundra Swans that I know are there.
Immature Double-crested Cormorant Flight In Golden Afternoon Light
One of the birds I took images of that afternoon was an immature Double-crested Cormorant that flew past me in that golden light just barely above the surface of the pond.
Yellow-bellied Marmot Pup With A Pale Face In Northern Utah
At one of the burrows where I photographed Yellow-bellied Marmot pups in the spring there was one pup of the five that had a paler face than the other four had and I thought that was interesting.
Peek-a-boo Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay WMA
Why did it make me laugh and smile? Because it looks like the Rough-legged Hawk might have been playing peek-a-boo as it looked towards me through its wingtips.