Behaviors – Page 75 – Feathered Photography

Another Nasty Encounter Between An Owl And A Barbed Wire Fence

Many readers will remember the Barn Owl I had to cut out of barbed wire last summer in Montana. At the time I only had a small, cheap and dull pair of wire cutters with me and the effort required to cut the thick double-stranded wire strained tendons in my arm that took several weeks to heal. So I invested in two new heavy-duty pairs of wire cutters to carry in my pickup in case I ever came across a similar situation again. It’s a darn good thing I did.

A Raptor, Ducks In Flight And A Lifer From Montana’s Centennial Valley

Usually my blog focuses on a single species but today’s post is a bit of a potpourri.

Red-tailed Hawk With A Snake

Red-tailed Hawks are known to prey on snakes but it’s something I’ve not seen often and I’d never documented it well.

Northern Flickers With A Little Competition For The Nest Cavity

Relative size apparently makes no difference when birds are competing for nesting cavities. In this case the Northern Flickers are twelve times larger than the house wren (130 g vs 11 g).

Ferruginous Hawk In Flight With Atypical Nesting Material

Not all raptor nesting material consists of twigs and sticks.

Harrier Takeoff – I’ve Never Seen A Raptor Wing Twisted Into Such A Shape

Birds and their feathers continue to surprise me with what they can do when they need to.

Short-eared Owl Fledglings Galore!

I’ve said before that this has been a banner year for breeding Short-eared Owls in northern Utah. Here’s more proof.

Two Creative Hunting Techniques From an Owl And A Hawk

Raptors can be quite innovative in their hunting techniques.

Short-eared Owl Throwing Up A Pellet

Yesterday morning in northern Utah this Short-eared Owl had a surprise waiting for me and it came at an unexpected moment.

Northern Harriers Transferring Food In Mid-air

I’ve been trying to photograph this behavior for years.

Lark Sparrow Trying To Manhandle Nesting Material

I often enjoy the little dramas in the lives of birds just as much as I do the bigger ones.

Red-tailed Hawk In Flight With Nesting Material

I seldom photograph raptors with nesting material because I won’t closely approach their nests but I got lucky with this female Red-tailed Hawk.

Barn Swallows Playin’ In The Mud

These swallows taught me some things.

Mating Swainson’s Hawks Series

Last week in northern Utah a pair of Swainson’s Hawks mated right in front of me. I’ve seen it happen fairly often over the years but this time they were close, I had good light, an unobstructed view and my camera was ready. I couldn’t believe my good fortune.

A Mated Pair Of Swainson’s Hawks

The male and female don’t look very much alike.

Category: Behaviors