montana – Page 7 – Feathered Photography

A Swainson’s Hawk And Lupine

I don’t often take “pretty pictures” but for my tastes this one fills the bill.

Montana Killdeer Chick

Normally I wouldn’t post a photo like this.

A Wary Bull Elk In Montana’s Centennial Valley

Note: As of a little while ago my blog has now been moved to the new server and that has caused some issues with this post. I originally posted it early this morning but when the blog was moved that post was lost in the transition so I’ve now posted it again. That’s why subscribers got a second email with the link to the post. All comments made on the old post this morning were lost – sorry about that! Hopefully there will be no more problems but if you notice something “haywire” on your end please let me know. Apologies for the inconvenience and confusion! This bull was far from a relatively “tame” National Park elk. He was wild, extremely wary, nervous and high-strung. There’s a robust elk herd in Montana’s Centennial Mountains but the hunting pressure on them is intense so in my experience it’s unusual to find them out in the open and exposed Centennial Valley to the north. But during the night some of them occasionally come out to feed in the valley and if you’re the first to drive the “South Road” at sunrise you have a small chance of catching them out in the open. 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender That’s exactly what happened with this bull in velvet two weeks ago during my camping trip to the area. The road runs between the mountains and the valley where he was feeding so he and…

My First Idaho Northern Harrier

And it was even a “Gray Ghost”.

Swainson’s Hawk In Flight

This adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk was a good omen for my present camping trip.

Prairie Falcon Trying To Carry Too Much Weight

Subtitle: Mia’s Pit Stop Prairie Falcon.

Prairie Falcon Attempting An Incognito Takeoff

High perches are unusual in the flat bottomland expanses of Montana’s huge Centennial Valley so the few that exist can be a draw for raptors and other birds.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

Plus an early camping trip report from Montana and Idaho.

Finally, I’m Out Of Here!

It’s been a long time coming this year but today I’m finally getting out of some of this oppressive heat and headed for the faraway mountains of Montana and Idaho.

Short-eared Owl In Flight With Prey And At The Nest

This male Short-eared Owl was a super-efficient hunter and provider for his family.

A Previously Unknown Badger Behavior

An American Badger here in Utah buried an entire cow carcass and they have it on “video” – (really time lapse photography, speeded up). It’s only a calf but it’s still hugely impressive and the behavior was previously unknown.