A Wren By Any Other Name…
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not particularly skilled in identifying some of the songbirds. This wren is a case in point. I’m unsure if it’s a Rock Wren or a House Wren.
So, a little help from my friends?…
Category: Birds
Dusky Grouse
Historically, Blue Grouse have been divided into two major groups – Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse. But bases on recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing studies as well as on behavioral and distribution information, both groups are now considered to be separate species.
Loggerhead Shrikes – A Color Change I Don’t Understand
I’m confused about a color change I’m seeing in Loggerhead Shrikes. 1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, image taken 4/26/13 on Antelope Island For most of the year the adults I see have a white or pale ventral surface (belly, breast and sides) which is exactly as described in the field guides and other resources I have access to. 2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, image taken 7/3/13 on Antelope Island But beginning in about early July there’s a fairly dramatic change that is not addressed in my field guides. That white plumage turns significantly darker and an almost black area on the upper breast appears. This is about the time they’re fledging chicks around here and when I first noticed this several years ago I wondered if the birds were simply becoming “dirty” as they scurried around trying to feed and care for those very demanding youngsters. But now I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. All of the adult Loggerhead Shrikes I see go through this change to some degree or another. 3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, image taken 7/14/13 on Antelope Island Here’s another (pretty silly looking) example. This is also the time of year when these birds are molting so I wondered if I was somehow seeing black skin (some birds do have black skin) through very skimpy plumage that time of year and I was somehow mistaking it for black feathers. But as you can see in this preening, molting adult, their skin…
Northern Harrier Gaining Altitude
This hawk was attempting to gain altitude, thus the angled body with the wing raised high.
Prairie Falcon On A Frosty Rock
With all the incredibly hot weather we’ve had for most of the last few weeks I was ready to post something that reminded me that it really can get cold around here…
Enveloped By Shrikes!
These young birds loved clamoring around on the hood of my pickup. They would look at their reflections, pick at smashed bugs and just generally act like inquisitive kids. It wasn’t unusual to hear a bird clicking about on my roof at the same time one of its siblings was on my hood.
Green-tailed Towhee
As I mentioned on this blog a couple of months ago I’ve been after quality images of the Green-tailed Towhee for years but they’ve always eluded me. This species has a special place in my heart and memory because it was my field project study species back in 1969 when I took a college ornithology class at the University of Utah from the legendary Dr. William H. Behle. That class provided the inspiration for my almost life-long love of birds. I’ve been trying to get some nice images of them for years now but their secretive nature and my bad luck always got in the way.
Male American Kestrel In Dramatic Light
In order to escape some severe wind this male American Kestrel chose to perch very low to the ground at the base of a large cottonwood tree. He was mostly in deep shade but occasionally the effect of the wind on the tree would put some dappled light on him.
A Sage Thrasher Kinda Morning
On average I probably only have good opportunities with the elusive Sage Thrasher two or three times per year. This year the last day of June was one of them..
A Wet, Winking Great Horned Owl Fledgling
I love the half-closed, fuzzy eyelid and the ear tufts or “horns” that are just beginning to form on this young owl.
An Unlikely Alliance To Save The Greater Sage-Grouse
The Greater Sage-Grouse is a spectacular bird in many ways. They’re our largest grouse – males may approach 7 lbs. The dramatic breeding display of the males on the lek is mind-boggling. And to have one of these birds flush at your feet is literally a heart-stopping experience – something I know from experience.
But these birds are in great danger of extinction due to dramatic loss of habitat.
Western Grebe Mated With Clark’s Grebe
In the years I’ve watched and photographed the behaviors of both species I’ve never before seen a Western Grebe mated to a Clark’s Grebe. Mixed species pairs are uncommon to rare so to have seen this natural but unusual behavior was pretty special for me.
Some Hope For Barn Owls
I’ve reported previously on this blog that Barn Owl populations took a huge hit this past winter in northern Utah. It was dreadfully cold for much of the winter with lots of snow. Normally that’s not a huge problem for these owls but with deep snow on the ground we had a warm spell that melted the surface of the snow and immediately after that we had an extended cold snap. Those conditions caused a hard crust of ice to form on the snow surface that lasted for weeks.
Fledgling Loggerhead Shrike Begging For Food
I photographed a family of very cooperative Loggerhead Shrikes last week on Antelope Island. The young birds had already fledged and were very actively exploring their world, strengthening their wing muscles by flying from perch to perch and testing a variety of objects for their potential food value.
And they were gutsy! Several times a juvenile landed on the tailgate of my pickup as you can see here.
Horned Lark On Mullein
For the past several weeks Antelope Island has been awash in the glorious yellows of moth mullein. It doesn’t cover the entire island but there are areas where entire hillsides have been festooned in mullein yellow.
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Dusky Grouse
Historically, Blue Grouse have been divided into two major groups – Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse. But bases on recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing studies as well as on behavioral and distribution information, both groups are now considered to be separate species.
Loggerhead Shrikes – A Color Change I Don’t Understand
I’m confused about a color change I’m seeing in Loggerhead Shrikes. 1600, f/7.1, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, image taken 4/26/13 on Antelope Island For most of the year the adults I see have a white or pale ventral surface (belly, breast and sides) which is exactly as described in the field guides and other resources I have access to. 2500, f/6.3, ISO 640, 500 f/4, natural light, image taken 7/3/13 on Antelope Island But beginning in about early July there’s a fairly dramatic change that is not addressed in my field guides. That white plumage turns significantly darker and an almost black area on the upper breast appears. This is about the time they’re fledging chicks around here and when I first noticed this several years ago I wondered if the birds were simply becoming “dirty” as they scurried around trying to feed and care for those very demanding youngsters. But now I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. All of the adult Loggerhead Shrikes I see go through this change to some degree or another. 3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, image taken 7/14/13 on Antelope Island Here’s another (pretty silly looking) example. This is also the time of year when these birds are molting so I wondered if I was somehow seeing black skin (some birds do have black skin) through very skimpy plumage that time of year and I was somehow mistaking it for black feathers. But as you can see in this preening, molting adult, their skin…
Northern Harrier Gaining Altitude
This hawk was attempting to gain altitude, thus the angled body with the wing raised high.
Prairie Falcon On A Frosty Rock
With all the incredibly hot weather we’ve had for most of the last few weeks I was ready to post something that reminded me that it really can get cold around here…
Enveloped By Shrikes!
These young birds loved clamoring around on the hood of my pickup. They would look at their reflections, pick at smashed bugs and just generally act like inquisitive kids. It wasn’t unusual to hear a bird clicking about on my roof at the same time one of its siblings was on my hood.
Green-tailed Towhee
As I mentioned on this blog a couple of months ago I’ve been after quality images of the Green-tailed Towhee for years but they’ve always eluded me. This species has a special place in my heart and memory because it was my field project study species back in 1969 when I took a college ornithology class at the University of Utah from the legendary Dr. William H. Behle. That class provided the inspiration for my almost life-long love of birds. I’ve been trying to get some nice images of them for years now but their secretive nature and my bad luck always got in the way.
Male American Kestrel In Dramatic Light
In order to escape some severe wind this male American Kestrel chose to perch very low to the ground at the base of a large cottonwood tree. He was mostly in deep shade but occasionally the effect of the wind on the tree would put some dappled light on him.
A Sage Thrasher Kinda Morning
On average I probably only have good opportunities with the elusive Sage Thrasher two or three times per year. This year the last day of June was one of them..
A Wet, Winking Great Horned Owl Fledgling
I love the half-closed, fuzzy eyelid and the ear tufts or “horns” that are just beginning to form on this young owl.
An Unlikely Alliance To Save The Greater Sage-Grouse
The Greater Sage-Grouse is a spectacular bird in many ways. They’re our largest grouse – males may approach 7 lbs. The dramatic breeding display of the males on the lek is mind-boggling. And to have one of these birds flush at your feet is literally a heart-stopping experience – something I know from experience.
But these birds are in great danger of extinction due to dramatic loss of habitat.
Western Grebe Mated With Clark’s Grebe
In the years I’ve watched and photographed the behaviors of both species I’ve never before seen a Western Grebe mated to a Clark’s Grebe. Mixed species pairs are uncommon to rare so to have seen this natural but unusual behavior was pretty special for me.
Some Hope For Barn Owls
I’ve reported previously on this blog that Barn Owl populations took a huge hit this past winter in northern Utah. It was dreadfully cold for much of the winter with lots of snow. Normally that’s not a huge problem for these owls but with deep snow on the ground we had a warm spell that melted the surface of the snow and immediately after that we had an extended cold snap. Those conditions caused a hard crust of ice to form on the snow surface that lasted for weeks.
Fledgling Loggerhead Shrike Begging For Food
I photographed a family of very cooperative Loggerhead Shrikes last week on Antelope Island. The young birds had already fledged and were very actively exploring their world, strengthening their wing muscles by flying from perch to perch and testing a variety of objects for their potential food value.
And they were gutsy! Several times a juvenile landed on the tailgate of my pickup as you can see here.
Horned Lark On Mullein
For the past several weeks Antelope Island has been awash in the glorious yellows of moth mullein. It doesn’t cover the entire island but there are areas where entire hillsides have been festooned in mullein yellow.