The Evolution Of A Nest Tree Over Three Summers
This lonely fir tree at the east end of Montana’s Centennial Valley has had some interesting history over the last several years.
Category: Behaviors
Bathing Vesper Sparrow (this bird didn’t read “the book”)
Vesper Sparrows are “dust bathers”. They do it so often that they’re known for having puffs of dust fly off of them when they’re flushed and take off. In fact, Birds of North America Online says they’re “not observed to bathe in water”. This Vesper Sparrow didn’t read the book.
Swainson’s Hawk Face-plant Into Rabbitbrush
Sometimes raptors risk serious injury as they go after prey – especially to their eyes.
Red-tailed Hawk With Prey
I photographed this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning near Farmington Bay as it prepared to eat a vole it had just caught.
Note: Fair warning – the second photo in this sequence is slightly graphic so sensitive folks may want to avoid scrolling further than the first image.
Merlin With Prey In Approaching Fog
On our recent Montana trip I spent two morning sessions with a cooperative Merlin at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley.
Williamson’s Sapsuckers – The Changing Of The Guard
The Williamson’s Sapsuckers I photographed earlier this summer had a routine while they were feeding their chicks and I presume it went on all day long. And often a feisty pair of wrens made that routine more complicated.
Red-tailed Hawk Take-off In A Sunflower Setting
For some, raptors and flowers may seem like an incongruous combination but I like the contradiction.
Fighting Red-tailed Hawks
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was hunting from a sign post and everything seemed to be calm – to the point that I was enjoying the sunflowers in the setting and the irony of the sign it was perched on. That tranquility didn’t last long…
White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hummingbird Moth)
In the four recent mornings I’ve spent photographing hummingbirds on Antelope Island I simply couldn’t resist pointing my lens at these large, fascinating insects when they came in to feed on the same flowers as the hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Potpourri
Recently I’ve spent four mornings photographing hummingbirds and sphinx moths as they fed on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant on Antelope Island. This morning I thought I’d present a rather diverse mix of Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbird images from those sessions.
Western Grebes “Rushing”
I’ve found the rushing behavior of Western Grebes to be one of the more difficult bird photography challenges of all. First of all you have to be there when it happens and I’ve only seen it a handful of times.
Some Williamson’s Sapsucker Behavior
In early July I photographed a mated pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers in Clark County, Idaho. As usual I was fascinated by their behaviors.
Some Interesting Poses From A Rufous Hummingbird
Yesterday morning I spent more time with the hummingbirds on Antelope Island. This female Rufous Hummingbird perched close and gave me some interesting poses.
Hummingbirds And The Way I Prefer To Photograph Them
Many photographers use elaborate setups and flash when photographing hummingbirds. I prefer au naturel.
Sunbathing White-faced Ibis
When common birds perform uncommon behaviors it catches my eye. And hopefully my lens. This was a behavior completely new to me for this species.
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Bathing Vesper Sparrow (this bird didn’t read “the book”)
Vesper Sparrows are “dust bathers”. They do it so often that they’re known for having puffs of dust fly off of them when they’re flushed and take off. In fact, Birds of North America Online says they’re “not observed to bathe in water”. This Vesper Sparrow didn’t read the book.
Swainson’s Hawk Face-plant Into Rabbitbrush
Sometimes raptors risk serious injury as they go after prey – especially to their eyes.
Red-tailed Hawk With Prey
I photographed this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk yesterday morning near Farmington Bay as it prepared to eat a vole it had just caught.
Note: Fair warning – the second photo in this sequence is slightly graphic so sensitive folks may want to avoid scrolling further than the first image.
Merlin With Prey In Approaching Fog
On our recent Montana trip I spent two morning sessions with a cooperative Merlin at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the Centennial Valley.
Williamson’s Sapsuckers – The Changing Of The Guard
The Williamson’s Sapsuckers I photographed earlier this summer had a routine while they were feeding their chicks and I presume it went on all day long. And often a feisty pair of wrens made that routine more complicated.
Red-tailed Hawk Take-off In A Sunflower Setting
For some, raptors and flowers may seem like an incongruous combination but I like the contradiction.
Fighting Red-tailed Hawks
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was hunting from a sign post and everything seemed to be calm – to the point that I was enjoying the sunflowers in the setting and the irony of the sign it was perched on. That tranquility didn’t last long…
White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hummingbird Moth)
In the four recent mornings I’ve spent photographing hummingbirds on Antelope Island I simply couldn’t resist pointing my lens at these large, fascinating insects when they came in to feed on the same flowers as the hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Potpourri
Recently I’ve spent four mornings photographing hummingbirds and sphinx moths as they fed on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant on Antelope Island. This morning I thought I’d present a rather diverse mix of Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbird images from those sessions.
Western Grebes “Rushing”
I’ve found the rushing behavior of Western Grebes to be one of the more difficult bird photography challenges of all. First of all you have to be there when it happens and I’ve only seen it a handful of times.
Some Williamson’s Sapsucker Behavior
In early July I photographed a mated pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers in Clark County, Idaho. As usual I was fascinated by their behaviors.
Some Interesting Poses From A Rufous Hummingbird
Yesterday morning I spent more time with the hummingbirds on Antelope Island. This female Rufous Hummingbird perched close and gave me some interesting poses.
Hummingbirds And The Way I Prefer To Photograph Them
Many photographers use elaborate setups and flash when photographing hummingbirds. I prefer au naturel.
Sunbathing White-faced Ibis
When common birds perform uncommon behaviors it catches my eye. And hopefully my lens. This was a behavior completely new to me for this species.