Four days ago I had a particularly interesting morning on Antelope Island and thought readers might enjoy a chronological reporting of my experience. Some of these images are better than others but as a group these photos of varying quality document my 2 1/2 hour morning on that wonderful island.
When it comes to diet Western Grebes are fish specialists but they’re opportunistic enough to take a variety of prey, including crustaceans.
Based on what I’m seeing in the field I’m wondering if some birds aren’t being tricked into spring activities too early.
The Rough-legged Hawk is a true arctic species so images of them in a frosty and snowy setting can seem appropriate and appealing.
I believe the Trumpeter Swan to be the most elegant bird species I’ve ever photographed.
When food is plentiful raptors take advantage of the situation. Tomorrow things might be different.
By the time early summer rolls around the plumage of many Bald Eagles has taken a beating.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the years watching owls – Great Horned, Burrowing and Short-eared especially and I’ve never seen one eating its own feathers.
I enjoy photographing birds doing wing-flaps, partly because you tend to get such a variety of poses in a short period of time.
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk had a fine, furry, Farmington feast for breakfast this morning.
I’ve posted previously about grebes swallowing feathers as a digestive aid. Yesterday I photographed a Pied-billed Grebe with that very intention.
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 Magpies feed primarily on carrion, ground-dwelling arthropods and seeds. But yesterday morning I photographed a magpie with an apparent kill, a vole.
Yesterday morning was my first experience with an Accipiter preying on rodents instead of the small birds that they’re best known for eating.
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.
