Grebe Wing Flap (including a pose new to me)
I spend enough time with Pied-billed Grebes that it’s not often I see something new. Just over two weeks ago I did.
Category: Miscellaneous
Grebe Running On Top Of The Water
I’ve long wanted a shot of a grebe completely out of the water as it ran across a pond. Two days ago I got it.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
This adult White-crowned Sparrow was using the frost-covered twigs almost like its own private store of unflavored popsicles.
Perched Barn Owl Actually Doing Something
It’s not often that I photograph a perched Barn Owl doing anything but resting. Opening and closing their eyes is about as exciting as it usually gets.
A New Northern Harrier Behavior (for me)
Harriers have been a common subject for me over the years so I don’t often notice something new about them. Recently I did and the following three photos illustrate my point.
A Coyote, A Reflection And An Interpretive Error On My Part
Three months ago I posted some shots of a coyote intrigued by its own reflection in the Great Salt Lake. I rejected one photo I liked because of what I thought was a metal wire that ruined the image. I should have paid more attention…
Western Grebe Back-brooded Chicks (and what’s the function of that red crown patch?)
A trio of Western Grebe chicks on the back of a parent can certainly be eye-catching. And in this case they piqued my curiosity.
Barn Owl Facial Disc Manipulation And The Colors Beneath It
During my recent encounter with this male Barn Owl I noticed something I’d never seen or even thought of before – manipulation of the facial disc that changes its shape and alters what we can see on the face of the bird.
A Different Look At The Alula (bastard wing)
Yesterday morning a Rough-legged Hawk gave me a perspective on the alula that I had never seen (or at least noticed) previously. I was on the verge of deleting these images when at the last second something about the left wing caught my eye.
A Fly Turns The Tables On A Flycatcher
After yesterday’s depressing post I decided a little whimsy was in order for this morning.
Northern Harrier “Playing”
Northern Harriers are occasionally known to play but it’s something I’ve seldom seen. Harriers are normally all business as they pursue simple survival in a harsh and unforgiving world but a week ago today I watched and photographed as one of these hawks had some apparent “fun”.
Short-eared Owls And The “Handedness Phenomenon”
Handedness is a preference for using one hand (or limb) as opposed to the other. It’s a phenomenon many of us associate strictly with humans but other vertebrates can also show handedness, including birds. For example, many parrot species have a strong and consistent preference for using their left foot when bringing food to the beak.
Based on my own observations in the field I believe that Short-eared Owls may also display handedness.
Anticipating Raptor Take-off
I’ve said before that one of the skills that can be of immense value to the bird photographer (and of interest to birders of every persuasion) is the ability to predict the behavior of your subject and one of those behaviors that can be of most value to predict is take-off.
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.
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Grebe Running On Top Of The Water
I’ve long wanted a shot of a grebe completely out of the water as it ran across a pond. Two days ago I got it.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
This adult White-crowned Sparrow was using the frost-covered twigs almost like its own private store of unflavored popsicles.
Perched Barn Owl Actually Doing Something
It’s not often that I photograph a perched Barn Owl doing anything but resting. Opening and closing their eyes is about as exciting as it usually gets.
A New Northern Harrier Behavior (for me)
Harriers have been a common subject for me over the years so I don’t often notice something new about them. Recently I did and the following three photos illustrate my point.
A Coyote, A Reflection And An Interpretive Error On My Part
Three months ago I posted some shots of a coyote intrigued by its own reflection in the Great Salt Lake. I rejected one photo I liked because of what I thought was a metal wire that ruined the image. I should have paid more attention…
Western Grebe Back-brooded Chicks (and what’s the function of that red crown patch?)
A trio of Western Grebe chicks on the back of a parent can certainly be eye-catching. And in this case they piqued my curiosity.
Barn Owl Facial Disc Manipulation And The Colors Beneath It
During my recent encounter with this male Barn Owl I noticed something I’d never seen or even thought of before – manipulation of the facial disc that changes its shape and alters what we can see on the face of the bird.
A Different Look At The Alula (bastard wing)
Yesterday morning a Rough-legged Hawk gave me a perspective on the alula that I had never seen (or at least noticed) previously. I was on the verge of deleting these images when at the last second something about the left wing caught my eye.
A Fly Turns The Tables On A Flycatcher
After yesterday’s depressing post I decided a little whimsy was in order for this morning.
Northern Harrier “Playing”
Northern Harriers are occasionally known to play but it’s something I’ve seldom seen. Harriers are normally all business as they pursue simple survival in a harsh and unforgiving world but a week ago today I watched and photographed as one of these hawks had some apparent “fun”.
Short-eared Owls And The “Handedness Phenomenon”
Handedness is a preference for using one hand (or limb) as opposed to the other. It’s a phenomenon many of us associate strictly with humans but other vertebrates can also show handedness, including birds. For example, many parrot species have a strong and consistent preference for using their left foot when bringing food to the beak.
Based on my own observations in the field I believe that Short-eared Owls may also display handedness.
Anticipating Raptor Take-off
I’ve said before that one of the skills that can be of immense value to the bird photographer (and of interest to birders of every persuasion) is the ability to predict the behavior of your subject and one of those behaviors that can be of most value to predict is take-off.
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.