For a long time I thought that Pronghorns are safe on Antelope island but I was wrong. Pronghorns and Mule deer can be attacked by coyotes that can be hell for a single Pronghorn or Mule Deer, the coyotes also on outlook for young fawns, especially during a fawn’s first six weeks of life. Well, […]
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When it comes to identify Northern Harrier it’s not difficult to distinguish an adult male from a female. Adult males are mostly gray above and white below, they have lemon-yellow eyes. Adult females are brownish. To identify a juvenile Northern Harrier it’s getting tricky because they very much resemble adult females. Today I saw a […]
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At the beginning of my adventure with Mule deer the bravest ones were the male Mule deer. They didn’t hide behind the trees as the female deer did. But soon everything started to change and the female deer felt more comfortable with my presence. On the photo above the female deer is cautiously walking toward […]
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It seemed that last month I took quiet a few the high key photographs of birds. The weather conditions especially at the end of January were horrible on Antelope Island. Sometimes it was snowing, sometimes foggy and gloomy. There were days when everything looked plain white. To find birds wasn’t easy and when I saw […]
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Last Sunday I spent the late afternoon walking on the road from the Fielding Garr Ranch. This road is wide, peaceful and welcoming. The snow melted and the desert came to life and it felt that spring was so close, but when the sun started to set behind the mountains the air suddenly felt cold […]
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Sometimes American Kestrels are perching on the road signs and look as if they are advertising what is written on them. Once I saw how an American Kestrel was perching on the road sign with words “Attention Hunters…” as if he was telling the hunters to read carefully the rules on the road sing. […]
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I read that looking at the length of deer antlers, his legs and his neck you can determine his age. I tried to do it looking at the male Mule deer I photographed last Tuesday on Antelope Island. I can tell that the Mule deer has long antlers and they stick out as far as […]
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Two days ago was snowing on and off in spite the weather forecast promised that the day would be partially cloudy and at the beginning of the day it was cloudy with just a few snow flurries that weren’t a big deal and I decided to explore the long wide road that leads south from […]
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Yesterday I saw two Northern Harriers on Antelope Island but when I started to photograph them my lens couldn’t focus and I felt so helpless not knowing what to do. Luckily, Northern Harriers were making big circles in the sky and approaching closer and closer and my lens eventually started to focus. Looking at these […]
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That autumn morning the river was a rare emerald color with golden ripples and it seemed that an American Avocet was swimming on a mirror surface in a golden light unaware that in a few minutes he will be illuminated by the sun and his plumage would turn white. The Bear River […]
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How good it is sometimes to return to a summer morning, warm and calm, especially when it’s snowing outside and everything is so dull and colorless. I pulled out from my archive this morning the photo above that I took last July and never posted. Looking at the photo I suddenly remembered how the immature […]
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The Bear River mostly frozen and there are only a few spots with open water. These spots are usually occupied by Great Blue Herons and Gulls who often steal fish from Herons. Great Blue Herons aren’t the best swimmers, they swim for a short time and very rare. Landing […]
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Light breeze, the sand is soft and golden, majestic mountains, the sun is shining brightly, a sleepy welcoming beach. It was one of those days you remember for a long time. Generally, life is good!
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Every time I visit Antelope Island I anticipate to see Porcupines and say hello to them. I also hope that one day one of them would be on the ground and I will have an opportunity to photograph him differently. For some reason this Porcupine started his breakfast almost at the bottom of the tree […]
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Farmington Bay is partially frozen. Seeing the Heron in the middle of frozen land was unusual. He looked miserable and lonely and I felt sorry for him. Great Blues adapted to our cold winters, they chose not to migrate. Ready to leave this place. A slightly awkward move that […]
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I never had much luck with Northern Harriers, I saw them occasionally and it all ended there. When I spotted this Harrier I knew that it was impossible to get closer to him. In front of me was a narrow long strip of frozen water and along this strip tall reeds stood in a row. […]
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It’s always fascinating to see different birds that share peacefully the same place. The group above I met in late September had Franklin’s Gulls that were peacefully napping, several Snowy Egrets also joined this group and of course majestic Pelicans who were at the head of the group. These two Egrets chose […]
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Antelope Island is my safe place to be, my refuge where I feel fully alive. I can watch wildlife there, feel the desert and pretend that I am a wildlife photographer who is traveling across the world. Every trip to Antelope Island is also my little vacation and my escape from the real world. Generally, […]
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That was an unforgettable late afternoon on Antelope Island. Seeing and photographing a herd of Pronghorns was a truly fantastic treat. It was a pure luck that Pronghorns allowed me to follow them and be in the close proximity. I am so grateful for that! On the photo above is Pronghorn male (buck) with female. […]
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Recently I came across the photo above. It was taken with Leica during sunrise on Antelope Island and had a little bit different flavor than photos I published in October. Sometimes I leave my photos for a long time unattended and if they still look strong I start editing them. I never […]
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That late afternoon leaving Antelope Island I noticed a herd of Pronghorns in the field, they weren’t heading toward the mountains and that was good. They moved across the field, that was even better. I started to walk toward Pronghorns and followed them until they headed for the mountains. She is young, […]
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We often assume that migrant birds face greater dangers than the birds who are all year around residents, but in fact the opposite may be true. Birds like American Coots chose not to migrate but during the harsh winter months they have a difficult time to find food. This Coot was very lucky and managed […]
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There are days when I am heading home from Bear River without photos of birds and at some moment suddenly everything changes in instant and a wonderful unexpected opportunity waits for me at the end of my trip. That ordinary and not very exciting day in the middle of October I noticed a few immature […]
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The nights are freezing cold but the days are still warm and sunny. I walk in the same open field toward the dry tree where I last time saw the Bald Eagle but instead of Eagle I see the Ring-billed Gull at the same spot. The Ring-billed Gull isn’t skittish and I […]
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I ignored American Coots for a long time and took them for granted but two weeks ago I watched closely their behavior and it was fascinating, especially when Coots were bathing and interacting with each other. The Coots are bathing while they are swimming. It’s a ritual. Swim, bathe, swim, bathe shaking […]
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Harry, what are looking at?… If it’s in the tabloids it must be true. So I have to go, my friends need me. I tweeted it one week ago. Why of a sudden it went viral? You are just another songbird. […]
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That chilly morning I had a fantastic opportunity to watch and photograph the Northern Shovelers in landing and also practice panning. Of course, not all photographs came out okey but a few were worthwhile to edit and post here. The photo above is one of my favorites. The Northern Shoveler lands beautifully, sliding nicely on […]
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When I spotted a huge ball with sharp stiff hairs in the top of Russian Olive tree I didn’t know what to think. I have never seen a Porcupine in the wild and especially in the top of a tree. Apparently, North American Porcupines spend much of their time in the tops of trees where […]
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I don’t know for how long this coyote was around, I only can tell that he certainly was very cautious and silent. I was photographing a porcupine on a tree and at some point I heard that a branch was broken and saw the coyote. He was so close that for a few awkward seconds […]
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Apparently Bald Eagles are already at Bear River but I didn’t see them yet until yesterday. I spotted this Eagle perching on the dead tree in the open field while driving to Bear River. To walk in the open field toward the Bald Eagle seemed like a crazy idea because Eagles can spot so easily […]
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There is something very special about Great Blue Heron’s landing that is always thought very carefully from the beginning till the end. This Heron draws his feet and legs forward and flares his wings. He prepares to plant his feet on the soft marsh. Apparently, the bird had too much momentum that […]
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In one of my posts about Mule Deers I wrote that a female Mule Deer chooses which male’s harem to join. This young female decided to stay in the harem with other four females. Why did she make this decision is difficult to say but the decision isn’t final. This female Mule deer can change […]
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That chilly morning I was watching hundreds of ducks at the Great Salt Lake and didn’t know how to photograph them until I noticed that some ducks sometimes were heading toward the rocks and landing there. According to my observation, I noticed that every duck had a different style of landing on water. Thus, some […]
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Jays are very interesting birds, they are experts at hiding food that they want to save for later. Usually food is hidden in many places and Jays remember all of them. These birds have a fantastic memory. Some Jays spy on others and steal their food. If a Jay thinks he was […]
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Watching birds acting like bullies usually makes me smile and puzzled at the same time. For example why did this Cormorant try to squeeze himself on a log that was already taken by another bird. He acted as if he was entitled to be there. For a while the bully calmed down […]
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When I first time saw the Antelope Island I couldn’t decide do I like it or not but time went on and I was getting used to its uniqueness spending more and more time there. I don’t know how to photograph the desert. I see its colors, lines, feel its vastness but its bareness sometimes […]
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I photographed these Pronghorns during their mating season that started at the beginning of September and lasted till October. A male (buck) during this time would have a harem of two to four females who would decide which male’s harem to join and stay there. Females mate with many males and often will have twins […]
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A bird’s body language tells a lot about how it feels and going to act. Thus, this Snowy Egret is preparing to go into fight, he is annoyed and aggressive. His feathers are up on his head, the body is tense and slightly bent forward. The Egret is saying in his own way, ” I […]
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When I see bisons together I think of them as one large family. Apart, they are personalities with interesting characters, just like us. Look at this determined guy who is walking slowly and confidently. He is so much aware of his strength. Female bison is milking her baby. Her motherly look is […]
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This is the first year migration for young American White Pelicans. They are preparing for it training their flying muscles. They are majestic when flying, soaring with a remarkable steadiness on white-and-black wings. The Bear River will be deserted without these beautiful large birds but spring will come and […]
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I was sure that American Avocets have already migrated. It’s cold in the mornings and then temperature rises during the day. To my surprise Avocets are still at the Great Salt Lake in black and white winter plumage. Generally, life is good!
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I took these photographs at the end of September at the Great Salt Lake. I was driving along the lake’s shore when I spotted the group of Avocets surrounded by several Franklin’s Gulls. I walked down to the lake between rocks and sage bushes hoping to get to birds close but Franklin’s gulls immediately took […]
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My very first bird I photographed was a male Dark-eyed Junco. It was the beginning of winter and I was so happy to take a few photos of this bird on the snow. What I didn’t know by that time that there are so many variations of Dark-eyed Juncos. One week ago while visiting Garr […]
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I wasn’t at Bear River for a few weeks and it was so refreshing to be there again. Most shore birds have already migrated but a few families of Western Grebes are still at Bear River. They are waiting when their young ones will be able to fly and feed themself on their own. […]
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There is not much water available for bisons on Antelope Island to bathe, so over time they figured out that rolling in the dirt can do the same as bathing in the water. Bathing in the dirt helps bisons to chase flies off, to shed loose hair from last winter and also leaves a protective […]
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American White Pelicans mature fast, soon they will start to prepare for migration. I can’t believe that only two moths ago they were teenagers, funny, silly and tender. Looks like they are having a tete-a-tete conversation. Preening can be so elegant especially if you have such beautiful long feathers. […]
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I don’t why this Swainson’s Hawk chose to stay on the pole where he was perching and didn’t fly away when I stopped my car. He was so close that if I reached out my hand, I would touch him. He looked through the open window at me as if he was studying me. The […]
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This little eye catching bird loves to perch on the wire fences and it looks so gentle but the bird’s appearance is deceptive. Western Kingbird is a very strong bird and it considered a tyrant. If a larger bird would come to the Kingbird’s nest it would be ferociously attacked. Western Kingbirds are great fighters. […]
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It was still dark when I started a long drive on Causeway to Antelope Island but when I got to island the sun was already over the mountains and bisons were having their early breakfast. There were several very young bisons, they stayed close to their mothers. From time to time a […]
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The beginning of October is a mating season for Mule deers. During this time a male deer will collect several females to form a mating harem and will compete for breeding opportunities. The male Mule deer I photographed last Sunday was very successful and got into his harem five females that followed him devoutly. He […]
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