Every evening before the sun will go down a group of Great Blue Herons gathers for a short social time at their favorite spot. Yesterday, two herons from this group surprised me with an unusual dance that lasted only a few seconds. Unfortunately, one of the “dancers” soon flew away, leaving his partner […]
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This sometimes happens; you photograph a bird, you are motionless for a long time and then suddenly, out of nowhere, another bird appears nearby and starts to watch you. That autumn morning on the Great Salt Lake shore, I was photographing American Pipits. At some point I looked over my shoulder and saw a White-crowned […]
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Just a few minutes before sunset, everything suddenly seemed magical; trees, mountains, illuminated by the last rays of the sun, and even Canada geese who gathered for their last evening meal. Generally, life is good!
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Exploring a new territory is always an adventure and anticipation at the same time. Thus, this Bald Eagle decided to check is this log a good place to perch and hunt. While watching the Bald Eagle I had a feeling that he wasn’t particular comfortable being on the log. He was kind of […]
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Taking the photos of Tundra Swans I thought what can I tell about these birds. These Swans are slightly larger and relatively long-necked than any goose. While watching these birds I also wondered if it was possible that one of the Swans with a grayish head was a juvenile Swan and this was its first winter […]
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When I saw the Tundra Swans this morning, I could not believe that they were already at the Bear River MBR. I expected them to arrive later, somewhere in early February. Each year, thousands of Tundra Swans migrate into Northern Utah. Along their journey, the Swans need to rest and recuperate before they continue on. The […]
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Yesterday morning was very special, I was able to watch and photograph an American Bald Eagle. It was a long time since my first encounter with this majestic bird. Bald Eagle is an iconic symbol of America but Benjamin Franklin – the statesman, author, scientist and inventor – preferred the Wild Turkey as a […]
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It’s been so long since I’ve been at the Bear River at dawn. The snow has melted, but the early morning is frosty. As I walked across the field to the river, my cheeks tingled from the cold and I thought perhaps, it’s time to look for a lens coat and protect my lens from extreme […]
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I’ve been mentally writing this post for the second week now, trying to answer a question that took me by surprise. I was asked about my first creative moment in my life, and no matter how hard I tried to fish out even the most simple creative moment, I stumbled upon the silence of my […]
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Every time I see gulls at Bear River MBR or Great Salt Lake I stop and watch these birds for a while and always take a few photos of them. Thus, at the beginning of this month I came across a group of Bill-ringed Gulls at the Bear River and stayed with them for a […]
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The end of September. The North Arm Wildlife trail meets me with coolness and silence. Many birds have already migrated and the trail is unusually quiet. Suddenly from nowhere, a small group of Cedar Waxwings begins to circle near a tall bush and everything is as before. The trail comes alive, the silence no longer evokes […]
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With autumn approaching one of the most daring Great blue herons becomes less wary and starts fishing in open areas. Thus, the Great Blue heron on photo above was so focused on fishing that I had an opportunity to stay with him as close as he allowed me and was able to capture a stunning moment […]
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There are two Great Horn Owls who live on the Garr Ranch, the male and female. They usually are hiding between the branches at the top of different trees but the female hides in a such skillful way that it’s almost impossible to see her at all. The male is usually less concerned of being […]
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Two weeks ago I visited the Garr Ranch on Antelope Island. I like to visit this small cozy settlement, surrounded by tall century-old trees. Generally, life is good!
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The White-throated Sparrows are very clever birds and can find abundance of food even in the deep snow. The little Sparrow on the photo above found a fat seed. He had to dig deep in the snow to have it While looking for food this little Sparrow disappeared from time to time in the […]
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One week ago I saw a few Great Egrets and two American White Pelicans at Bear River MBR and was shocked. I didn’t expect to see Pelicans at this time of year. Great Egrets can be found at the refuge all year around. But what happened to two Pelicans? Did they miss their migration time […]
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Watching a Rough-legged Hawk landing on the snowy shore was a real treat. My guess is that Roughie didn’t have any idea for what purpose did he land on one of the stones but since he was there, he decided to explore this place. Probably, before jumping on ice, you need to […]
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How beautiful, how graceful is a Wood duck in the flight. Generally, life is good!
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Last October I photographed on the Great Salt Lake American Avocets in their winter plumage before their migration. Most of Avocets already had left the Great Salt Lake and only a few of them weren’t in a hurry to start their migration. Birds know precisely when it’s time to migrate. If they leave early, they […]
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A group of Common Terns flew in a chaotic way and hovered in the air and then they dived in the water and emerged out of it with fish in their bills. There were so much action that I hardly knew where to point my lens. When Terns are hovering in the air, they look […]
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The female and male Wood Ducks are walking on ice toward the water. Walking on ice isn’t easy, it’s slippery but ducks are careful and slow. His majesty the male Muscovy Duck. This time he behaved politely and didn’t attack me. The female Wood duck on the left is giving a […]
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Wood Duck. That morning was frigid cold. All the inhabitants of our local pond have forgotten for a while that they are pretty territorial and gathered on a small icy island surrounded by water. Winter has come, harsh and snowy. Mallard ducks. Canada goose. Generally, life is good!
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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge set against a dramatic backdrop formed by the Wasatch Mountains. It’s a hunting season at the refuge, but I rarely meet hunters and have no idea where they hunt ducks. Last Sunday I finally saw a group of hunters with a dog in the small motorboat heading to […]
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Early morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. In the early mornings it’s cold but later it’s getting warmer. So far we didn’t have rains in December. Hopefully, the next week will bring a few rain showers. Generally, life is good!
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A few American Pipits took a liking to the salty rocky shore, they were merrily jumping from stone to stone lingering on them for a few seconds and delighting the world with their sonorous songs. I love how Pipits turn their heads with gentle precision and sing. There is something about it that […]
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What always amazes me is that the most ordinary duck, which we hardly notice, in one instant can transform into a beautiful and graceful bird. Generally, life is good!
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Rough-legged Hawks migrate to Bear River Bird Refuge usually in November and stay for a few months there. Last year I photographed a Rough-legged Hawk on December 3rd, this year I met this raptor on November 27th. A few days difference. At the beginning of my encounter I thought that the hawk would settle comfortably […]
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A blind at the Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area. Someone once said that you can’t discover a new place without being lost and he was right.At the beginning of November I was trying to find the Little Mountain road that supposed to bring me to Salt Creek WMA. While looking for this mysterious road I was […]
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Driving past the small pond in Brigham City I noticed a small group of white birds. Did the Snowy Geese decide to visit this small pond and spend time there? Unfortunately, the white birds turned out not to be Snowy Geese but I decided to stay with these birds anyway and glad that I did because […]
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That morning in early June I was fortunate to watch how the male Western Grebe caught a big fish which he struggled to keep in his beak. That was a true success that doesn’t happen often. Later the female Grebe joined the lucky mate but she acted as if she was indifferent. I am […]
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In the beginning of September we were looking forward to rain. The rains came in October and we overjoyed by them. The desert suddenly got dressed in lovely autumn colors and looked so alive. When I saw a coyote walking along the road (Causeway, Antelope Island) I thought how nice it would be if he […]
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That morning was pretty chilly on the Great Salt Lake shore and the lake mostly had steel tones until the sun came from behind the clouds. The shore was deserted and only tiny birds were jumping merrily from stone to stone and then linger on the stone they liked for a few seconds. […]
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The name of Great Blue Heron always puzzled me because these large birds are more gray than blue. To be fair in some light the plumage of these large birds can appear to look bluer on photographs than it is. I photographed this Heron in July on a foggy day and the color of its plumage […]
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My first encounter with a Mute Swan took place three weeks ago on a rainy cold morning. I was walking in our local park and saw behind the fence a big large bird. Is this the same swan I photographed six year ago? No, it’s impossible… At this precise moment I forgot about my walk, about […]
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Six years ago on October 20th, I photographed a rescued Trumpeter Swan in our local Dinosaur Park. The Swan was injured and was recovering. As soon as he recovered he left the park. Two weeks ago I was allowed to photograph another rescued Swan who happened to be a Mute Swan. Apparently, the Swan cannot […]
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Birds make decisions almost every second. These decisions can be well-thought or ill-considered. The Snowy Egret above made three decisions within a few minutes. First, he decided to fight then he retreated to a quieter place and finally returned back to the old territory. I am strong and I can fight but I […]
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I watched how this aggressive Snowy Egret was going into fight then changing its mind and flying away to nearby territory. Unfortunately, arriving in a new territory turned out to be a thoughtless decision. To stay, or not to stay, that is the question?… It’s probably better to go back and continue […]
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Each year at the begging of September through October hundreds of thousands of shore and waterfowl birds migrate through the Great Salt Lake wetlands heading south for their wintering grounds. It’s a breathtaking sight when thousands of ducks flying low, back and forth, up and down along the shore line. American Avocets are still congregating […]
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Last week I was determined to find Salt Creek Waterfowl Management area. The way to this place lies through the harsh and beautiful desert. I always get lost at the beginning when I try to embrace the immensity of the desert that is barren but at the same time it’s blooming with its special colors. […]
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Did you know that male grasshoppers have their own individual song to attract females? This song is loud and resembles chirping and clicking. I heard those songs often while I was hiking on the North Arm trail. I have never seen grasshoppers in courtship but I was fortunate to watch how they are mating. On […]
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On that cool morning on Antelope Island I came across the group of female bisons with their babies. They were basking in the sun and dozing. From time to time one of babies got up, dusted himself off and looked around. Sometimes one of mothers was giving herself the dirt bath rolling around in […]
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Birds communicate by songs and calls but like us, humans, their body language sometimes tells a lot about how a bird feels and what action it is going to take. Thus the Snowy Egrets often become aggressive when their territory is threaten by intruders and they have to fight. The decision to fight is often […]
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I remember that rainy Sunday morning in great detail. The rain was knocking on my windshield furiously while I was driving toward the Bear River and trying to find one good reason why I was going there. That rainy morning turned out to be the best morning I have ever had at Bear River. The […]
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The North Arm Trail became my escape from our drought into the world with abundance of butterflies, wild flowers and birds. Spending a few hours on this trail was a bliss but also a challenge. I met on the trail different species of perching birds but I didn’t know how to approach them without frightening those […]
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That morning while driving to Bear river I was so pleased to see the blue sky and the clouds. During last two months our sky was like a pale canvas, the air was smokey because of fires in California. That morning I also met an adult Red-tailed Hawk who was perching on the pole by […]
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During our severe drought all animals who found a home on Antelope Island were affected by it because of lack of water and food supply. There are over forty freshwater springs on island to support the island’s wild life but many of them dried up. This morning I met a coyote while I was driving […]
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The family of Osprey already migrated. Every time I am on the North Arm Trail and see the empty Ospreys nests, I feel nostalgic and then the memories come and make my sadness even more palpable. These series of photographs were taken on the day when juvenile Ospreys made their first flight. They flew to […]
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Last summer I was photographing the family of Western Grebes. I was fortunate enough to trace this family from the moment when they built their nest and how the female was laying on the eggs and the male and female fed their little ones. This family stayed at Bear River till it started to get […]
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I so wanted to create the intimate portraits of female Osprey I was watching for a few months and to have a glance into her soul if it’s possible. The female Osprey worked hard raising her two babies. She rarely left the nest, only on occasion she went fishing. After the young ones made their […]
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This morning I watched the Canada Geese who were flying to the Pineview Reservoir and thought how good it would be if geese would take me with them. Do your remember a line that the writer Kurt Vonnegut quoted in one of his books:“…God grant me courage to change the things I can…” It’s in the novel Slaughterhouse-Five. […]
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My Big Little World 