Farmington Follies
During hunting season you just never know what strange sights you might see at Farmington Bay.
Category: Bird Oddities
Some Evidence Regarding The Sense Of Smell In Red-tailed Hawks
Or the lack thereof…
Two days ago I encountered this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk on an unlikely and extremely foul-smelling perch.
Can You Guess What This Pied-billed Grebe Is Doing?
I’ll narrow your odds. He isn’t threatening an overhead rival or predator and he isn’t catching raindrops in his mouth either.
Have You Ever Seen A Cedar Waxwing With A Topknot (head plume)?
Neither have I (although they do have a crest) but yesterday I found a waxwing that sure looked like it had a topknot of some kind.
Did You Know That Most Adult Female Birds Have Lost Their Right Ovary? Do You Know Why?
The Novel ‘Revenge’ Of The American Goldfinch
Folks who dislike Brown Cowbirds for their habit of nest parasitism will likely appreciate this unique “revenge” of the American Goldfinch. We’ll get into that soon but first some goldfinch photos I took yesterday morning.
Pied-billed Grebe – Dive! Dive!
Pardon my submarine reference in the title but I’m betting many of my readers are old enough to remember those old WWII movies.
I seldom see Pied-billed Grebes use this unique diving method but it always amuses me when I do. I’ve reported on this behavior before but those were different photos and this is a different grebe.
Short-eared Owl – An Ambiguous Illusion
I needed a stress reliever and this post is it. My stress level has been incredibly high for the last few days because of a serious medical scare and I don’t handle even routine stress well.
Eastern Kingbird Weirdness
Plus a lifer for me – a Snowy Plover at Bear River MBR yesterday. And an update on Dr. Talamy’s “What Do Birds Eat?” project.
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Have you ever wondered how this swallow acquired such an unusual name? Where did “rough-winged” come from?
How Ravens Dispose Of The Wastes Of Their Chicks…
Western Meadowlark – How Do They Do That?
Meadowlarks often perform a pretty neat little trick while they’re landing on sagebrush.
The Euphoric Rush Of Discovering Mountain Plovers In Northern Utah
Five years ago tomorrow I had one of my most memorable experiences with birds of any species in the field.
Snakes As Prey For Red-tailed Hawks
Red-tailed Hawks are known to prey on snakes and they don’t necessarily exclude the venomous species as menu choices.
Male Marsh Wren Building One Of His Dummy Nests
Two days ago I spent an hour and 45 minutes photographing a male Marsh Wren building one of his “dummy” nests at Bear River MBR.
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Some Evidence Regarding The Sense Of Smell In Red-tailed Hawks
Or the lack thereof…
Two days ago I encountered this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk on an unlikely and extremely foul-smelling perch.
Can You Guess What This Pied-billed Grebe Is Doing?
I’ll narrow your odds. He isn’t threatening an overhead rival or predator and he isn’t catching raindrops in his mouth either.
Have You Ever Seen A Cedar Waxwing With A Topknot (head plume)?
Neither have I (although they do have a crest) but yesterday I found a waxwing that sure looked like it had a topknot of some kind.
Did You Know That Most Adult Female Birds Have Lost Their Right Ovary? Do You Know Why?
The Novel ‘Revenge’ Of The American Goldfinch
Folks who dislike Brown Cowbirds for their habit of nest parasitism will likely appreciate this unique “revenge” of the American Goldfinch. We’ll get into that soon but first some goldfinch photos I took yesterday morning.
Pied-billed Grebe – Dive! Dive!
Pardon my submarine reference in the title but I’m betting many of my readers are old enough to remember those old WWII movies.
I seldom see Pied-billed Grebes use this unique diving method but it always amuses me when I do. I’ve reported on this behavior before but those were different photos and this is a different grebe.
Short-eared Owl – An Ambiguous Illusion
I needed a stress reliever and this post is it. My stress level has been incredibly high for the last few days because of a serious medical scare and I don’t handle even routine stress well.
Eastern Kingbird Weirdness
Plus a lifer for me – a Snowy Plover at Bear River MBR yesterday. And an update on Dr. Talamy’s “What Do Birds Eat?” project.
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
Have you ever wondered how this swallow acquired such an unusual name? Where did “rough-winged” come from?
How Ravens Dispose Of The Wastes Of Their Chicks…
Western Meadowlark – How Do They Do That?
Meadowlarks often perform a pretty neat little trick while they’re landing on sagebrush.
The Euphoric Rush Of Discovering Mountain Plovers In Northern Utah
Five years ago tomorrow I had one of my most memorable experiences with birds of any species in the field.
Snakes As Prey For Red-tailed Hawks
Red-tailed Hawks are known to prey on snakes and they don’t necessarily exclude the venomous species as menu choices.
Male Marsh Wren Building One Of His Dummy Nests
Two days ago I spent an hour and 45 minutes photographing a male Marsh Wren building one of his “dummy” nests at Bear River MBR.