As common as they are in some areas I have very few quality images of Western Scrub Jays. They frequent scrub woodlands dominated by pinon pines or oaks in the west so it isn’t unusual for them to be found in Utah neighborhoods adjacent to the mountains where they sometimes visit bird feeders. I prefer to photograph them in their native habitat but they’re more shy there which partially explains my lack of images of the species.
Bird photography isn’t easy and the resulting images are often missing an essential element (or two, or more…) but sometimes I like those shots anyway. Case in point:
I’ve been aware for years that these owls sometimes take over badger holes but it’s something I’ve never been able to document without question until this week.
Early this past spring I had some wonderful opportunities with Sandhill Cranes near Capitol Reef National Park.
Ferruginous Hawks are noted for their long, tapered and pointed wings and I thought this image demonstrated that field mark well.
I spent yesterday morning cruising the back roads of Utah’s west desert with the primary goal of finding and photographing raptors.
Injured birds are always heart-wrenching and I like to help when I can but sometimes attempting to do so isn’t practical or even wise.
For some, raptors and flowers may seem like an incongruous combination but I like the contradiction.
Two days ago a new species appeared at the flower patch on Antelope Island – a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
Weasels are among the most interesting and challenging subjects I’ve ever photographed. This one, from yesterday morning, fit the bill on both counts.
In the four recent mornings I’ve spent photographing hummingbirds on Antelope Island I simply couldn’t resist pointing my lens at these large, fascinating insects when they came in to feed on the same flowers as the hummingbirds.
Recently I’ve spent four mornings photographing hummingbirds and sphinx moths as they fed on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant on Antelope Island. This morning I thought I’d present a rather diverse mix of Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbird images from those sessions.
I’ve found the rushing behavior of Western Grebes to be one of the more difficult bird photography challenges of all. First of all you have to be there when it happens and I’ve only seen it a handful of times.
Yesterday morning I spent more time with the hummingbirds on Antelope Island. This female Rufous Hummingbird perched close and gave me some interesting poses.
Many photographers use elaborate setups and flash when photographing hummingbirds. I prefer au naturel.
