Memorable, eventful, birdy, chilly, rainy, all describe our May 8-July 1 trip across northern Utah, southern Idaho, southern Oregon and northern California. We thrilled to the wonder of the breeding season, spending 24 hours a day with young and budding life all around us, and as always in our travels, our spirits were refreshed by the stunning and varied ecosystems of the natural world. I hope you enjoy this photojournal. Many of our best experiences and loveliest birds were not photographed for a variety of reasons. This is just a tiny sampling of the birds we enjoyed on our eight-week trip.
Bird images taken with Nikon D300, Nikkor 400/2.8, landscapes with Sony Alpha 100. Images archived in raw format and many are large enough to be developed into 8 X 10 or larger prints.
Highline State Park, Colorado - May 10, 2010
Steinaker State Park, Utah - May 11-12
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| Scenery in Northern Utah more mountainous - like Colorado - with the occasional formation like this "Slick Rock" look
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Nests being built everywhere
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Song sparrows get grayer and grayer as you go west
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TNTC
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These were the first of many Great Horned Owl families
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Ouray National Wildlife Refuge May 12
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Swallows were THE most common bird we saw
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Near Wasatch State Park, Northern Utah May 13-14
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We've heard these are in some trouble, but you wouldn't know it from the vast numbers we saw
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Breeding all over the west
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Seen in every state and most sites we birded
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Beautiful color this time of year
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Strawberry Reservoir, Northern Utah May 15
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Pretty common at our birding sites
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Really not so many of these
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Near Utah Lake State Park May 15-17
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Utah Lake area Snowy Egrets May 15
What a fun shoot this was!
Antelope Island and in parks around Ogden in Northern Utah - May 18-20
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This leucystic male was completely functional - feeding young in nest
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Bear River Refuge and near Ogden - May 19
Camas NWR, Mud Lake, Market Lake, Idaho - May 22
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Head bobbying, tail raising is part of male display
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Sterling NWR, Springfield Ponds and Bottoms, and American Falls, Idaho Cemetery May 23
Walcott State Park, Idaho - May 24
Bruneau Dunes & Jack's Creek, Idaho - May 25
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Western Tanagers can beg for food - or at least are very curious
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| The Three Stooges
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Finally, one breaks away
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Beautiful in evening light
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Swan Falls and Celebration Park, Idaho - May 26
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, central Oregon - May 27, 5:30 pm - The Owl
Discovered at Headquarters on the ground of all things, being hassled by a magpie
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, central Oregon - May 28-29
Summer Lake, Oregon - May 29
Cabin Lake Campground, Oregon - May 32
This campground had a wildlife guzzler and a photographer's blind, the only time on the trip that I had any "assistance" with my photography
Blue Lake, California - June 4
Tule Lake, Butte Valley, Lower Klamath NWR, Oregon - June 5-6
Juanita Lake, Butte Valley, Lower Klamath NWR in Northern California - June 7
Suddenly sage thrashers and tricolored blackbirds galore
Burney Falls, northern California - June 11
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| Only one pair of black swifts this year contrasts with many nesting pairs in previous years
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Lassen Volcanic Peak, in Lassen National Park, Northern California - June 12
High road still closed due to snow!
Eagle Lake, Northern California - June 13
Full hoody look
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We thought we'd have trouble seeing this guy - NOT
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He turned out to be easy in Northern CA, but not Oregon
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Nest cavity is the small one to the right of the branch
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Sacramento WA and Gray Lodge WA from Oroville, California - June 15
Sand Pond and Plumas-Eureka State Park, California - June 18
Sierra Valley and Marble Hot Springs Road - June 19
Icehouse Reservoir, just east of South Lake Tahoe, California - June 22
Lake Tahoe and Donner Camp - June 23
Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay
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Some of the Donner party wintered over here
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Sierra Springs Trailer Park, California - June 24
Driving Home through Central Utah - June 28
Thanks for appreciating the beauty and integration of the natural world with me.
I hope you will join me in supporting National Parks and Forests, State Parks, Wildlife Areas and Refuges.
They are jewels beyond compare.
* indicates the image is likely of sufficient quality to be printed as 8X10 and sometimes larger; please contact me for that.
All photographs are copyrighted by the artist. All rights are reserved.
I have many more photos. Contact me for availability and sizing information
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