Pronghorn Meets Bird At 40mph
Usually when something unexpected happens in the field my lens is pointed in another direction but in this instance the timing couldn’t have been much better.
Tag: fighting
More Fighting Sage Grouse And A Look At The Lek
Male Greater Sage-Grouse fights can be so intense as to cause injuries that range from cuts to broken wings.
Two Male Sage Grouse Fighting On The Lek In Golden Light
Watching Greater Sage-Grouse performing on a lek in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah yesterday morning was an experience I’ll never forget. Ever!
Fighting Red-tailed Hawks
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was hunting from a sign post and everything seemed to be calm – to the point that I was enjoying the sunflowers in the setting and the irony of the sign it was perched on. That tranquility didn’t last long…
Fighting White-faced Ibises (11 images)
Generally the White-faced Ibis is non-aggressive as it feeds in large groups of its own kind. Even when they accidentally bump into each other there is usually no aggressive response. But there are exceptions…
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.
A Tough Winter On Northern Harriers
The winter of 2008 was severe and it put a lot of survival pressure on our resident birds, particularly raptors. The number of Northern Harriers wintering over at Farmington Bay seemed unusually high and toward the end of the winter there was intense competition for dwindling food supplies.
Wild Horses – A Possible, Partial New Solution To Their Management Problem On Our Public Lands
Last month I spent some time photographing the Onaqui herd of wild horses in Utah’s west desert. Management of wild horses on public lands is a contentious issue and the BLM has now proposed the use of a relatively new management tool in an attempt at reigning in the population increase of the Onaqui herd.
Wild Horses – Colts, Mating, Dust Baths And More Fighting
Two days ago I was able to spend enough time with these wild horses in the west desert of Utah to begin to get a feeling for their complex social life.
Fighting Wild Horses
Yesterday we had an incredible morning with a herd of wild horses in the west desert of Utah.
Western Meadowlark – The Scars Of Battle
The song of the meadowlark often stirs fond memories and thoughts of peaceful and melodious spring mornings. But for birds that song represents the tension of competition for territories and females – anything but tranquility.
Mallards Mating And Fighting
Fighting Harriers
The seriousness of confrontations between Northern Harriers varies with the situation. Conflicts over food, especially during harsh winters, can be intense and dramatic but they often seem to spar with each other just for the “fun” of it. I’ve often seen and occasionally photographed both extremes of aggressive behavior.
Red-tailed Hawk Versus Northern Harrier – Aerial Confrontation
Northern Harriers are well-known for aggressive behavior toward larger raptors intruding on their territory but seldom chase off raptor species smaller than themselves. This interesting behavioral quirk apparently results from the ability of harriers to steal food from smaller raptors. It’s easier to pilfer prey from a smaller species than it is to catch it yourself so harriers let them hang around.
A Couple Of Interesting Pied-billed Grebe Behaviors
I love watching and photographing these small grebes because their pugnacious behaviors produce some fascinating interactions. They just may be the most aggressive bird species I’ve ever photographed.
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More Fighting Sage Grouse And A Look At The Lek
Male Greater Sage-Grouse fights can be so intense as to cause injuries that range from cuts to broken wings.
Two Male Sage Grouse Fighting On The Lek In Golden Light
Watching Greater Sage-Grouse performing on a lek in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah yesterday morning was an experience I’ll never forget. Ever!
Fighting Red-tailed Hawks
Two days ago this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was hunting from a sign post and everything seemed to be calm – to the point that I was enjoying the sunflowers in the setting and the irony of the sign it was perched on. That tranquility didn’t last long…
Fighting White-faced Ibises (11 images)
Generally the White-faced Ibis is non-aggressive as it feeds in large groups of its own kind. Even when they accidentally bump into each other there is usually no aggressive response. But there are exceptions…
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.
A Tough Winter On Northern Harriers
The winter of 2008 was severe and it put a lot of survival pressure on our resident birds, particularly raptors. The number of Northern Harriers wintering over at Farmington Bay seemed unusually high and toward the end of the winter there was intense competition for dwindling food supplies.
Wild Horses – A Possible, Partial New Solution To Their Management Problem On Our Public Lands
Last month I spent some time photographing the Onaqui herd of wild horses in Utah’s west desert. Management of wild horses on public lands is a contentious issue and the BLM has now proposed the use of a relatively new management tool in an attempt at reigning in the population increase of the Onaqui herd.
Wild Horses – Colts, Mating, Dust Baths And More Fighting
Two days ago I was able to spend enough time with these wild horses in the west desert of Utah to begin to get a feeling for their complex social life.
Fighting Wild Horses
Yesterday we had an incredible morning with a herd of wild horses in the west desert of Utah.
Western Meadowlark – The Scars Of Battle
The song of the meadowlark often stirs fond memories and thoughts of peaceful and melodious spring mornings. But for birds that song represents the tension of competition for territories and females – anything but tranquility.
Mallards Mating And Fighting
Fighting Harriers
The seriousness of confrontations between Northern Harriers varies with the situation. Conflicts over food, especially during harsh winters, can be intense and dramatic but they often seem to spar with each other just for the “fun” of it. I’ve often seen and occasionally photographed both extremes of aggressive behavior.
Red-tailed Hawk Versus Northern Harrier – Aerial Confrontation
Northern Harriers are well-known for aggressive behavior toward larger raptors intruding on their territory but seldom chase off raptor species smaller than themselves. This interesting behavioral quirk apparently results from the ability of harriers to steal food from smaller raptors. It’s easier to pilfer prey from a smaller species than it is to catch it yourself so harriers let them hang around.
A Couple Of Interesting Pied-billed Grebe Behaviors
I love watching and photographing these small grebes because their pugnacious behaviors produce some fascinating interactions. They just may be the most aggressive bird species I’ve ever photographed.