S.Phifer Photography

S.Phifer Photography Wildlife photographer in Oregon. Love owls, mustangs, and all that Oregon offers.

Here are a few more photos of stallion, Rascal, from Salt River AZ. I loved watching the horses eat the eel grass from ...
02/09/2026

Here are a few more photos of stallion, Rascal, from Salt River AZ.

I loved watching the horses eat the eel grass from the river. They would blow bubbles in the water and come up with big bunches.

Superb Owl Sunday! From talons up to wise eyes, these owls are giving Superb Owl energy...where every owl is a champion...
02/09/2026

Superb Owl Sunday!

From talons up to wise eyes, these owls are giving Superb Owl energy...where every owl is a champion!

When I saw that we were going to be less than an hour from the Salt River horses, I knew that we had to go! Tony and I ...
02/04/2026

When I saw that we were going to be less than an hour from the Salt River horses, I knew that we had to go! Tony and I spent most of the day in the area and had a great time. When we first saw the horses, they were in a tough area to photograph...they were buried in brush, and it was tough to see them. I was really hoping to see them in the river, so when we saw a few bands break off and start the ‘water walk’, we started hiking towards the river. It worked out wonderfully and we enjoyed some time with them at the river. I edited this with a bit of a rugged look because I think it suits this stallion well. He has a beautiful blue eye. I’ll share a closer look at that tomorrow.

I was so excited to see saguaro cactus in Arizona. I really wanted a photo of a bird on one. I never thought I would s...
02/01/2026

I was so excited to see saguaro cactus in Arizona. I really wanted a photo of a bird on one. I never thought I would see so many birds on them. How fun! I also got to see the wild horses amongst them.

I had a few Arizona birds on my list to find, but this guy was at the top. I love roadrunners and was excited to see a f...
01/30/2026

I had a few Arizona birds on my list to find, but this guy was at the top. I love roadrunners and was excited to see a few of them. This one gave me some great high key photo opportunities.

A few weeks before we left for Arizona, I started doing some research and created a list of birds I was hoping to see. ...
01/27/2026

A few weeks before we left for Arizona, I started doing some research and created a list of birds I was hoping to see. This little burrowing owl was on that list.

I have seen quite a few of them over the years, but the background possibilities at this location looked really fun! I went and checked out the location the first day we got there and had the opportunity to share burrowing owls with someone who had never seen them before. That was a lot of fun!

The next morning, my friend picked me up well before sunrise and the timing was perfect. The warm golden light behind this curious burrowing owl was exactly what I was hoping for!

01/19/2026

We put a barn owl nest box in our barn a few years ago. There were 5 fledglings two years ago and two last year. It’s been fun and stressful and educational and also a little tragic…as nature can be. I love having this little glimpse into their lives. We currently have a pair that have claimed the box this year, but there seems to be some competition for it. This video shows some of the drama from a couple nights ago. I love the kissy face at the end. This photo is from last summer when one of the fledglings roosted in a tree in our pasture. Hopefully I can keep sharing updates!

Finding a great horned owl, at eye level…in some cool rocks, was very fun! Love the little smirk 😏 ...
01/15/2026

Finding a great horned owl, at eye level…in some cool rocks, was very fun! Love the little smirk 😏

Short-eared Owls are so engaging and so much fun to watch. These guys have been a great surprise to start the year with....
01/14/2026

Short-eared Owls are so engaging and so much fun to watch. These guys have been a great surprise to start the year with.
.raptors

Looking back at photos from this year, I’m grateful to see that I truly met my goal of being more spontaneous and saying...
12/30/2025

Looking back at photos from this year, I’m grateful to see that I truly met my goal of being more spontaneous and saying “yes” to opportunities as they came. Those yeses led to meaningful time with several good friends, countless shared laughs, and memories that now feel part of who I am. There’s so much to look back on fondly.

This year I visited 10 different Oregon HMAs (mustang areas), each one leaving its own impression.

Here is a collection of photos from those various areas. Some are repeats of what I've shared previously, and others are new. I hope you enjoy them.

Happy Winter Solstice!With the recent snowy owl experience, it had me going back to the first time I saw one. I have no...
12/21/2025

Happy Winter Solstice!

With the recent snowy owl experience, it had me going back to the first time I saw one. I have no doubt that it will forever be my best experience. Thanks to this special northern visitor, I made a special friendship. It also taught me that spontaneous trips are usually the best....and to never take an opportunity for granted. In the moment, I knew it was special, but not the level that I know now. This photo is from that first trip.

From sea level to 7,000 feet...I had a couple of spontaneous adventures this last week. I would have loved for better p...
12/15/2025

From sea level to 7,000 feet...I had a couple of spontaneous adventures this last week. I would have loved for better photo opportunities, but it was so nice to get out of my office and enjoy nature.

Snowy owls are incredibly beautiful, and it was such a treat to see one in Oregon. It looks like it has moved on after taking refuge from the rainy weather last week.

The mountain goat hike has become an annual tradition, but I thought I was going to break the 8 year streak this year. I can’t believe we were able to hike in on December 13th! It is usually blanketed in snow long before now.

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Salt River, AZ

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