American Kestrel (male)

This guy tried to eat one of our birds! -Kennedy

He came two days in a row to scatter the birds at our feeder. Cute and surprisingly small, but deadly! -Amy

Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco (male)

This little guy was only around for a few days. He caught my eye because he didn't look quite the same as the "Oregon" Juncos we've got. According to my Sibley field guide, he's a "Slate-Colored" Dark-eyed Junco, Canadian Rocky Mountains variant. Big name for such a small bird! Apparently they nest in the Canadian Rockies and this one is spending the winter here in Utah.

European Starling (winter plumage)

Here is a European Starling in winter plumage - dark bill, blackish overall with small white spots.  A flock of about five or six of them stopped by today.

Loggerhead Shrike

I was so excited to see a new bird land right in front of me as I looked out the window! I barely had time to grab my camera and get three shots. He stayed for less than a minute, and I will be very surprised if I ever see him again. He wasn't checking the feeder for seeds, by the way, he was probably looking for dinner in the shape of a finch. Shrikes feed on birds and small rodents. You can just barely see the tiny (meat-tearing) hook at the tip of his bill.

Ring-necked Pheasant (female)

This Ring-necked Pheasant ran in front of my husband while he was driving home on Eagle Mountain Boulevard. When we drove by later she was still there hiding in the landscaped strip in the middle of the road, so we stopped and got a picture of her.

Northern Flicker (female)

         This must be mister flicker's wife! Maybe they have their home nearby. It was really astounding to see her take flight and flash all that red under her wings and tail. -Amy

She must be going to find some winter supply of food. - Kennedy

White-crowned Sparrow (Immature)

I used to think every small brown bird was a sparrow, but I'm learning that they really don't all look exactly alike, that they do have characteristic markings, and it's actually kind of fun to tell the difference. This little White-crowned Sparrow came alone to forage below the thistle seed feeder for several days in a row, and then disappeared.

Doesn't she look cute in our Aspen tree?

Sharp-shinned Hawk (adult)

Today I was lucky enough to catch this adult Sharp-shinned Hawk eating his dinner on the neighbor's back fence.