What’s Happening To Our Kestrels?
Recently I’ve been reading some disturbing reports about the decline of the American Kestrel in North America. And I’m talking about a drastic decline! I’ve speculated about just that in a previous post, based on my own recent observations in northern Utah but I’ve been hoping that what I’ve noticed is only a local and temporary phenomenon. Apparently it isn’t.
Young Ferruginous Hawk Siblings
This summer has apparently been a good breeding season for Ferruginous Hawks in southwest Montana. I photographed about a half-dozen active nests or recently fledged family groups in or near the Centennial Valley.
My Third Day With The Antelope Island Hummingbirds
I spent three mornings with the Hummingbirds of Antelope Island last week. Each day the number of birds and amount of activity declined so I’m thinking some of them are already moving out. All but one of these images are from the third day.
Despite my lack of experience shooting hummingbirds I’m already developing preferences for settings and backgrounds when photographing them. My tastes are sometimes overwhelmed by all the flower color, especially when there’s so many flowers and they’re all the same color so I like as much variety as I can get in my backgrounds. Shades of pink have never been my favorite colors…
Why Did The Red-tailed Hawk Stand On The Road?
A little over a month ago I found this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk just standing around on a gravel road in the Centennial Valley of Montana. It’s behavior seemed at least a little odd because I’d never seen this species act so nonchalant when perched so low for so long – especially on a road.
Avocet Wing-stretch – A Predictor Of Behavior
In my experience American Avocets have two primary “styles” of stretching. When they stretch a single wing they extend it to the side with one leg stretched out behind. But they also use what’s called the “two wing stretch” and this style is often a precursor of imminent behavior – takeoff.
Male Harrier Cruising The Causeway
I have a strong affinity for Northern Harriers ( a little secret that’s difficult to conceal, given the vanity plates on my pickup). And though I love to photograph either sex there’s just something about the adult males that has a special appeal for me. Part of that attraction is probably the relative rarity of the adult male colors since the juvenile colors of both sexes resemble that of the female.
The males are called the “gray ghost” for good reason.
Some Interesting Hummingbird Biology
Some of the hummingbird images I’ve taken the last few days on Antelope island illustrate a few of their fascinating adaptations for their rather unique lifestyle.
Hummingbirds, Butterflies And Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Yesterday morning on Antelope Island hummingbirds were buzzing frantically over clumps of Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, a species of Cleome that produces copious amounts of nectar so it attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and wasps. All four were present. As a biologist I enjoyed watching the natural processes at work here. The long, showy pollen tipped stamens and deeply buried nectar, when combined with the long bill of the bird, are the perfect combination to suit some of the biological needs of each species. The hummers were often covered with pollen.
Odd Growths On The Face Of A Pronghorn
Earlier this month we encountered an unusual male Pronghorn on Antelope Island. Close inspection through our lenses revealed something that caught our attention – this animal had two strange-looking projections apparently growing out of the top of its muzzle. .
Pied-billed Grebe With Eyes Bigger Than Its Than Stomach
Pied-billed Grebes are both pugnacious and gluttonous and it’s not unusual for them to capture and attempt to swallow prey that is marginally too big to go down the hatch, which can lead to some interesting and amusing behaviors at feeding time..