Wing Flappin’ Pied-billed Grebe
I enjoy photographing birds doing wing-flaps, partly because you tend to get such a variety of poses in a short period of time.
Category: Behaviors
Red-tailed Hawk And The Demise Of A Vole
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk had a fine, furry, Farmington feast for breakfast this morning.
Pied-billed Grebe Investigating A Potential Feather For Swallowing
I’ve posted previously about grebes swallowing feathers as a digestive aid. Yesterday I photographed a Pied-billed Grebe with that very intention.
Kingfisher Casting A Pellet (Canon 7D vs 7D Mark 2)
I’ve been watching this female Belted Kingfisher from afar for several weeks now but in typical kingfisher fashion she has been unapproachable. But yesterday morning she partially atoned for her bashful ways and performed some interesting behavior for my camera.
Black-billed Magpie With An Apparent Kill
Black-billed Magpies feed primarily on carrion, ground-dwelling arthropods and seeds. But yesterday morning I photographed a magpie with an apparent kill, a vole.
An Accipiter Preying On Rodents Instead Of Small Birds
Yesterday morning was my first experience with an Accipiter preying on rodents instead of the small birds that they’re best known for eating.
The Function of Ocelli (false eyes) In Raptors
Some falcons, hawks and owls have two ocelli (eye-like patches or “false eyes”) on the back of their head. Their function may not be as presumed.
Barn Owl Hunting Rodents
I typically go about 10 months of the year without seeing Barn Owls flying in daylight but when snow and extremely cold temperatures arrive they’re often forced to hunt during daytime in order to obtain enough food to survive.
An Aggressive Western Grebe (and a difference in water-running style among grebe species)
For such a large bird Western Grebes can really scoot over the water surface when the need arises.
Williamson’s Sapsuckers Attending To Domestic Duties
A whole host of cavity nesting bird species rely on dead and dying trees for their nest holes but when those “snags” are prematurely removed by man the resource disappears and birds suffer.
A Couple Of Recent Juncos
Dark-eyed Juncos are a common winter feeder species but I prefer to photograph them in as natural a setting as possible.
Forster’s Tern With Prey And A Common Black-Hawk In Utah!
Today, readers get a “twofer”: a Forster’s Tern with prey and a rare Common Black-hawk.
Another Grebe Biting Off More Than It Can Chew
It isn’t unusual for some bird species to regularly attempt to swallow prey that is too large to go down the hatch. I see American White Pelicans and Great Blue Herons make such attempts fairly often but around here Pied-billed Grebes and Western Grebes seem to be the kings of Gluttony Hill.
The Source Of Male Western Tanager Head Colors
Male Western Tanagers are known for their red heads but there can be considerable variation in those reds and the cause is not fully understood.
Red-tailed Hawk Negotiating Obstacles At Take-off
I’m often surprised and impressed by the dexterity and athleticism of larger raptors as they take off through a maze of tree branches or other obstructions.
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Red-tailed Hawk And The Demise Of A Vole
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk had a fine, furry, Farmington feast for breakfast this morning.
Pied-billed Grebe Investigating A Potential Feather For Swallowing
I’ve posted previously about grebes swallowing feathers as a digestive aid. Yesterday I photographed a Pied-billed Grebe with that very intention.
Kingfisher Casting A Pellet (Canon 7D vs 7D Mark 2)
I’ve been watching this female Belted Kingfisher from afar for several weeks now but in typical kingfisher fashion she has been unapproachable. But yesterday morning she partially atoned for her bashful ways and performed some interesting behavior for my camera.
Black-billed Magpie With An Apparent Kill
Black-billed Magpies feed primarily on carrion, ground-dwelling arthropods and seeds. But yesterday morning I photographed a magpie with an apparent kill, a vole.
An Accipiter Preying On Rodents Instead Of Small Birds
Yesterday morning was my first experience with an Accipiter preying on rodents instead of the small birds that they’re best known for eating.
The Function of Ocelli (false eyes) In Raptors
Some falcons, hawks and owls have two ocelli (eye-like patches or “false eyes”) on the back of their head. Their function may not be as presumed.
Barn Owl Hunting Rodents
I typically go about 10 months of the year without seeing Barn Owls flying in daylight but when snow and extremely cold temperatures arrive they’re often forced to hunt during daytime in order to obtain enough food to survive.
An Aggressive Western Grebe (and a difference in water-running style among grebe species)
For such a large bird Western Grebes can really scoot over the water surface when the need arises.
Williamson’s Sapsuckers Attending To Domestic Duties
A whole host of cavity nesting bird species rely on dead and dying trees for their nest holes but when those “snags” are prematurely removed by man the resource disappears and birds suffer.
A Couple Of Recent Juncos
Dark-eyed Juncos are a common winter feeder species but I prefer to photograph them in as natural a setting as possible.
Forster’s Tern With Prey And A Common Black-Hawk In Utah!
Today, readers get a “twofer”: a Forster’s Tern with prey and a rare Common Black-hawk.
Another Grebe Biting Off More Than It Can Chew
It isn’t unusual for some bird species to regularly attempt to swallow prey that is too large to go down the hatch. I see American White Pelicans and Great Blue Herons make such attempts fairly often but around here Pied-billed Grebes and Western Grebes seem to be the kings of Gluttony Hill.
The Source Of Male Western Tanager Head Colors
Male Western Tanagers are known for their red heads but there can be considerable variation in those reds and the cause is not fully understood.
Red-tailed Hawk Negotiating Obstacles At Take-off
I’m often surprised and impressed by the dexterity and athleticism of larger raptors as they take off through a maze of tree branches or other obstructions.