Burrowing Owl On A Boulder Perch
Six days ago on Antelope Island as I rounded a curve in the road I encountered this Burrowing Owl on a large rock with a clean setting and background. It was a cool morning and the sun had only recently come up so this bird was obviously enjoying the warming rays and showed no nervousness as I approached.
Western Grebe Swallowing A Crayfish
Western Grebes are almost exclusively fish-eaters but yesterday morning at Bear River MBR I photographed one consuming a crayfish.
Take That Shot. Just Do It!
Yesterday morning just after sunrise I was driving slowly on an isolated and deserted road looking for birds when I encountered a male Northern Harrier hunting along the road edge as it flew in the same direction I was traveling.
Willet – The Transformation Of An Avian Chameleon
With its wings folded the plump, drab-plumaged Willet is brown and inconspicuous but a remarkable transformation takes place when those wings are opened.
A Badger And Weasel Confrontation On Antelope Island
Yesterday morning we were witness to a tense drama involving a badger and Long-tailed Weasels on Antelope Island. American badgers feed primarily on rodents (ground squirrels, pocket gophers, rats, mice and voles) which they often capture by digging out their burrows – the digging skills of badgers are legendary.
But on this day a close relative was on the menu.
Western Kingbird Feeding Behavior
Yesterday morning was a Western Kingbird bonanza along the Antelope Island causeway.
A Potpourri Of Raptors
The only common theme running through all of these images is that the subjects are all “birds of prey” (phrase used loosely). Each photo was taken within the past year.
A Couple Of Coyotes And The Utah Mule Deer Protection Act
Two years ago Utah established the Mule Deer Protection Act which provided $500,000 to pay “hunters” $50 for every coyote they kill.
Vesper Sparrow
This morning I decided to feature another common and underappreciated species, the Vesper Sparrow. Friend and regular reader “Elephant’s Child” often refers to small, less colorful species as LBJs – “little brown jobs”. She appreciates the LBJs as much as their more colorful cousins and I give lip service to the fact that I do too but there’s no question that they get less attention on my blog than they deserve. This post is an attempt to partially remedy that situation.
