Sidelit Northern Flicker (red-shafted)
Though the Northern Flicker is common here in northern Utah I find them very difficult to approach. This morning I found one that had other things on its mind so it ignored me.
WC Sparrow In Flight (a shot I’d have missed without the 7D Mark II)
Getting a sharp image of any passerine in flight is not an easy task, especially when they’re coming toward you. I’m convinced I’d have missed this shot if I’d still been shooting with my Canon 7D.
(I’ve also included a whimsical shot of the same species for “dessert”).
Magpie In Flight In Magical, Foggy Light
Under the right conditions I like what fog can do to light when it isn’t too thick. Antelope Island at dawn this morning was a jumble of moving, thick pockets of fog. I drove around in an attempt to find some clear spots with birds present but when I would find some sun it wouldn’t take long for the fog to envelope me again. But in one spot, just for a couple of minutes, the effect of the fog on the light was dreamy and ethereal and I loved it.
Pied-billed Grebe Investigating A Potential Feather For Swallowing
I’ve posted previously about grebes swallowing feathers as a digestive aid. Yesterday I photographed a Pied-billed Grebe with that very intention.
Loggerhead Shrike On Winter Rabbitbrush
I finally photographed another Loggerhead Shrike in a nice setting this morning. It’s been a while.
Barn Owl Looking Even Goofier Than Usual
In my experience Barn Owls can look pretty goofy, even on a good day. With their conspicuous facial disc, small (for an owl) deeply set eyes and their long, ivory colored bill pointing almost straight down, they look, well… different. But I certainly don’t say that disparagingly. They’re magnificent birds and I love’m to bits.
Birds, A Bison And A Bit Of An Illusion
A bison, many birds, a stormy sky in the background and even an element of novelty – all are reasons this image appeals to me.
Peregrine Falcon In Flight After Dining On Duck
Peregrine Falcons aren’t noted for their table manners and this one needed just a little cleaning up after dinner.
Weasel In The Fog (and the mechanism of their seasonal color change)
Farmington is in a sort of wrapped bowl of the Wasatch Mountains which traps clouds – the bane of bird photographers. Much the same thing happens to morning fog, especially during winter. Collectively I call the phenomenon the “Farmington Curse” and that curse, in the form of fog, was much in evidence two mornings ago when I spent some time with a Long-tailed Weasel.
Hunting Northern Harrier Turning Away From Me In Flight
I like to get the interesting ventral plumage patterns of Northern Harriers in my images whenever I can. They tend to fly low when hunting so I don’t often get a good look at the underside of both tail and wings in the same shot. But this bird cooperated for an instant and I happened to fire my shutter at just the right moment.