Birds In Snow
Depending on conditions snow can seem to be a magic wonderland for birds to frolic in or be a dire threat to their survival.
Category: Upland Game Birds
Sidelit Chukar
Ring-necked Pheasants – A Contrast In Seasons And In Demeanor
I was struck by the contrast in attitude and demeanor between these adult male Ring-necked Pheasants.
Pheasant With Long-Billed Hawk Syndrome
Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay I photographed this male Ring-necked Pheasant with a grotesquely deformed and overgrown mandible. These images show the problem clearly.
Centennial Valley Sage Grouse And Their Potential Listing As “Threatened”
About three weeks ago I was able to photograph adult female Greater Sage-Grouse and their chicks in the Centennial Valley of southwest Montana. This species is on the cusp of a threatened species designation so I’m always thrilled to be able to see and photograph them in their natural, wild habitat. Believe me, it doesn’t happen very often.
Sage Grouse At Eye Level
Last week we found ourselves at eye level with a small group of very wary Greater Sage Grouse.
Chukars – Fighting Takes Its Toll
Springtime fights between male Chukars can be vicious affairs that sometimes leave the participants looking like they’ve stepped on a land mine.
Chukars – A Probable Mated Pair
Chukar pair bonds are forming now and I believe these two birds to be a mated pair.
High-stepping, Far-falling Chukars
The roly-poly Chukar doesn’t look very athletic but they’re incredibly agile while maneuvering on the rocks they like to perch on this time of year.
Finally! – Another Cooperative Chukar
Yesterday morning I finally found another Chukar willing to pose for me – my first since late last year.
Some Very Odd-looking Pheasants
Ring-necked Pheasants are relatively common in my area and I normally see very little variation in plumage color in them – males look like males, females look like females and that’s about it. But twice I’ve photographed some very strange-looking birds.
The Phantom Pheasant
Yesterday morning I was able to catch a few Ring-necked Pheasants out in the open at Farmington Bay. This shot reminded me that things aren’t always as they appear.
Chukar Calling On One Foot
Chukars continue to be one of my preferred subjects during the winter and spring due to their distinctive and colorful plumage and their often comical behavior. They are abundant on Antelope Island and even somewhat approachable there – at least in comparison to their skittish and wily ways elsewhere (hunters consider them to be among the most challenging of upland game species).
Greater Sage Grouse In The Centennial Valley
I was driving the dirt roads while on the lookout for raptors (mostly) when out of the corner of my eye to the far right I saw (just barely) a flock of Mallards flush up from the barrow pit next to the road and just a few feet away. I gave them a quick glance and drove on but a couple of seconds later Mia hollered out from the back seat her patented “Stop, bird!”, which I immediately did. Turned out they weren’t Mallards, they were Sage Grouse – about a dozen of them.
Dusky Grouse
Historically, Blue Grouse have been divided into two major groups – Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse. But bases on recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing studies as well as on behavioral and distribution information, both groups are now considered to be separate species.
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Sidelit Chukar
Ring-necked Pheasants – A Contrast In Seasons And In Demeanor
I was struck by the contrast in attitude and demeanor between these adult male Ring-necked Pheasants.
Pheasant With Long-Billed Hawk Syndrome
Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay I photographed this male Ring-necked Pheasant with a grotesquely deformed and overgrown mandible. These images show the problem clearly.
Centennial Valley Sage Grouse And Their Potential Listing As “Threatened”
About three weeks ago I was able to photograph adult female Greater Sage-Grouse and their chicks in the Centennial Valley of southwest Montana. This species is on the cusp of a threatened species designation so I’m always thrilled to be able to see and photograph them in their natural, wild habitat. Believe me, it doesn’t happen very often.
Sage Grouse At Eye Level
Last week we found ourselves at eye level with a small group of very wary Greater Sage Grouse.
Chukars – Fighting Takes Its Toll
Springtime fights between male Chukars can be vicious affairs that sometimes leave the participants looking like they’ve stepped on a land mine.
Chukars – A Probable Mated Pair
Chukar pair bonds are forming now and I believe these two birds to be a mated pair.
High-stepping, Far-falling Chukars
The roly-poly Chukar doesn’t look very athletic but they’re incredibly agile while maneuvering on the rocks they like to perch on this time of year.
Finally! – Another Cooperative Chukar
Yesterday morning I finally found another Chukar willing to pose for me – my first since late last year.
Some Very Odd-looking Pheasants
Ring-necked Pheasants are relatively common in my area and I normally see very little variation in plumage color in them – males look like males, females look like females and that’s about it. But twice I’ve photographed some very strange-looking birds.
The Phantom Pheasant
Yesterday morning I was able to catch a few Ring-necked Pheasants out in the open at Farmington Bay. This shot reminded me that things aren’t always as they appear.
Chukar Calling On One Foot
Chukars continue to be one of my preferred subjects during the winter and spring due to their distinctive and colorful plumage and their often comical behavior. They are abundant on Antelope Island and even somewhat approachable there – at least in comparison to their skittish and wily ways elsewhere (hunters consider them to be among the most challenging of upland game species).
Greater Sage Grouse In The Centennial Valley
I was driving the dirt roads while on the lookout for raptors (mostly) when out of the corner of my eye to the far right I saw (just barely) a flock of Mallards flush up from the barrow pit next to the road and just a few feet away. I gave them a quick glance and drove on but a couple of seconds later Mia hollered out from the back seat her patented “Stop, bird!”, which I immediately did. Turned out they weren’t Mallards, they were Sage Grouse – about a dozen of them.
Dusky Grouse
Historically, Blue Grouse have been divided into two major groups – Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse. But bases on recent mitochondrial DNA sequencing studies as well as on behavioral and distribution information, both groups are now considered to be separate species.