This Is Why They’re Called “Stilts”
If you thought that stilts have the longest legs relative to body size of all bird species you’d be wrong. But not by much. That distinction belongs to flamingos but stilts come in a close second.
Category: Favorite Locations
Juvenile Magpie With Feathers Blowing Away In The Breeze
Earlier this month as I was watching this juvenile (relatively short tail) Black-billed Magpie through my lens on Antelope Island I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen except for a possible take-off shot.
Bird Banding – A Necessary Evil?
For the first six years of my bird photography “career” I rarely encountered banded birds but in the last two years or so I encounter them regularly, some species more than others. Usually when I see a bird with bands or transmitters strapped to their backs I don’t even click the shutter except for documentation purposes.
Savannah Sparrow Feeding Fledgling
During our last Montana trip we had multiple sessions over several days with a very cooperative Savannah Sparrow – “cooperative” in the sense that the bird could always be found in the same spot along the shore of Lower Red Rock Lake in Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Northern Shoveler Duckling
Occasionally (very occasionally) I can’t resist the cuteness of a duckling and post it to my blog. It hasn’t happened for a long while now but this little guy put me over the edge.
Magpies Scavenging Entrails Rejected By Raptors
On my last Montana trip I think I figured out part of the reason why Black-billed Magpies often perch high on power poles in some areas. I’m sure this apparent behavior is known to others but it was something new for me.
Short-eared Owl In Flight Against A Darker Background
On my Montana trips Short-eared Owls are always one of my primary target species but sadly I seldom see them in recent years. This bird was one of two owls I found in almost five days of searching at the end of last month.
Pronghorn Buck Putting On A Burst Of Speed
The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the western hemisphere and I was glad I had my lens on this handsome buck when it suddenly began to accelerate.
Ferruginous Hawks – Strange Behavior With Nesting Material
On our recent camping/photo trip to southwest Montana I observed and photographed a Ferruginous Hawk behavior that has me baffled.
Red-naped Sapsucker (not a Williamson’s this time…)
On each our Montana trips we try to explore some new country. We found this Red-naped Sapsucker and its mate at their nest-hole on July 1 near a small lake at the end of a long dirt road.
Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Taking Off From A Hilltop
On the mornings when we leave Montana’s Centennial Valley the 27 miles of dirt road until we hit pavement are always a little depressing because we’re so reluctant to leave that wonderful place. But occasionally our melancholy is assuaged and our spirits lifted by birds and other wildlife we see on the way out.
Montana Bull Elk Jumping A Fence At Dawn
The elk near the Centennial Valley spend most of their time in the nearby mountains that border the valley on the south. They’re spooky of humans and our trappings for good reason as they’re hunted relentlessly in season and poachers are a risk year-round in that remote location.
Short-eared Owl Pushing Off With His Talon-tips
On our Montana trips I’m always looking for Short-eared Owls but sadly, unlike just a few years ago when they were relatively abundant, they’re virtually nonexistent in the Centennial Valley these days. I’m pretty much convinced their absence is largely due to all the cattle (mostly yearlings who are the juvenile delinquents of the bovine world and they really tore up the place) that were allowed to graze Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge a couple of years ago.
Red-tailed Hawk Attacked By A Swainson’s Hawk
The Centennial Valley had one more surprise in store as we left for home last Thursday morning. Photographing birds and other wildlife along the 27 mile long dirt road while I’m pulling the camping trailer is always awkward but the road is typically deserted that time of day and we’ve come up with something special more than once on the way out.
Savannah Sparrow – Fearless Dragon Slayer
This little Savannah Sparrow was one of my most memorable birds on our recent Montana camping trip. It was a fearless and a relentless hunter.
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Juvenile Magpie With Feathers Blowing Away In The Breeze
Earlier this month as I was watching this juvenile (relatively short tail) Black-billed Magpie through my lens on Antelope Island I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen except for a possible take-off shot.
Bird Banding – A Necessary Evil?
For the first six years of my bird photography “career” I rarely encountered banded birds but in the last two years or so I encounter them regularly, some species more than others. Usually when I see a bird with bands or transmitters strapped to their backs I don’t even click the shutter except for documentation purposes.
Savannah Sparrow Feeding Fledgling
During our last Montana trip we had multiple sessions over several days with a very cooperative Savannah Sparrow – “cooperative” in the sense that the bird could always be found in the same spot along the shore of Lower Red Rock Lake in Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
Northern Shoveler Duckling
Occasionally (very occasionally) I can’t resist the cuteness of a duckling and post it to my blog. It hasn’t happened for a long while now but this little guy put me over the edge.
Magpies Scavenging Entrails Rejected By Raptors
On my last Montana trip I think I figured out part of the reason why Black-billed Magpies often perch high on power poles in some areas. I’m sure this apparent behavior is known to others but it was something new for me.
Short-eared Owl In Flight Against A Darker Background
On my Montana trips Short-eared Owls are always one of my primary target species but sadly I seldom see them in recent years. This bird was one of two owls I found in almost five days of searching at the end of last month.
Pronghorn Buck Putting On A Burst Of Speed
The pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in the western hemisphere and I was glad I had my lens on this handsome buck when it suddenly began to accelerate.
Ferruginous Hawks – Strange Behavior With Nesting Material
On our recent camping/photo trip to southwest Montana I observed and photographed a Ferruginous Hawk behavior that has me baffled.
Red-naped Sapsucker (not a Williamson’s this time…)
On each our Montana trips we try to explore some new country. We found this Red-naped Sapsucker and its mate at their nest-hole on July 1 near a small lake at the end of a long dirt road.
Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Taking Off From A Hilltop
On the mornings when we leave Montana’s Centennial Valley the 27 miles of dirt road until we hit pavement are always a little depressing because we’re so reluctant to leave that wonderful place. But occasionally our melancholy is assuaged and our spirits lifted by birds and other wildlife we see on the way out.
Montana Bull Elk Jumping A Fence At Dawn
The elk near the Centennial Valley spend most of their time in the nearby mountains that border the valley on the south. They’re spooky of humans and our trappings for good reason as they’re hunted relentlessly in season and poachers are a risk year-round in that remote location.
Short-eared Owl Pushing Off With His Talon-tips
On our Montana trips I’m always looking for Short-eared Owls but sadly, unlike just a few years ago when they were relatively abundant, they’re virtually nonexistent in the Centennial Valley these days. I’m pretty much convinced their absence is largely due to all the cattle (mostly yearlings who are the juvenile delinquents of the bovine world and they really tore up the place) that were allowed to graze Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge a couple of years ago.
Red-tailed Hawk Attacked By A Swainson’s Hawk
The Centennial Valley had one more surprise in store as we left for home last Thursday morning. Photographing birds and other wildlife along the 27 mile long dirt road while I’m pulling the camping trailer is always awkward but the road is typically deserted that time of day and we’ve come up with something special more than once on the way out.
Savannah Sparrow – Fearless Dragon Slayer
This little Savannah Sparrow was one of my most memorable birds on our recent Montana camping trip. It was a fearless and a relentless hunter.