West Desert

Tooele and Juab Counties

Located in the northwestern Utah, the 7.7 million-acre West Desert is uniquely different from any other part of the state. Much of this area is a part of the Great Basin region, a place of isolated sky island mountain ranges separated by desert playas and wide-sweeping sagebrush flats.

Juniper Titmouse Photos In Utah

By |2023-12-13T04:24:05-07:00December 13th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Juniper Titmouses, Mercur Canyon, Simpson Springs, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I have taken Juniper Titmouse images, this titmouse species is still a bit of a nemesis bird for me. I just don't see them as much as I would like.

Another Scrub-Jay Name Change in 2024

By |2023-12-05T04:38:31-07:00December 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ophir Canyon, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Lately, I've been wondering what the new name for the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay species, that I photograph here in Utah, will be when it is changed in 2024.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T04:42:58-07:00November 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today, I found this gorgeous dark morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a juniper fence post in the West Desert. I spotted it from about a mile away.

My Solitaire Common Name Change Recommendation

By |2023-11-20T05:02:29-07:00November 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2024, the common name for Townsend's Solitaire will change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.

Red-tailed Hawk On A West Desert Weather Station

By |2023-10-19T03:13:49-06:00October 9th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A West Desert weather station wasn't the prettiest perch, but that is where I found this handsome Red-tailed Hawk last week when I went looking for birds.

Autumn Flatbud Prickly Poppy

By |2023-10-08T05:04:33-06:00October 8th, 2023|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I drove out to the West Desert for some peace and solitude three days ago, I was thrilled to spot this Flatbud Prickly Poppy still in bloom.

Black-footed Drone Fly On Rabbitbrush

By |2023-10-07T05:00:56-06:00October 7th, 2023|Categories: Black-footed Drone Flies, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While out in the West Desert two days ago, I photographed this adult Black-footed Drone Fly, a member of the hoverfly family, on a rabbitbrush.

Fall Male Horned Lark Plus A Bonus Photo

By |2023-10-07T04:35:02-06:00October 6th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Horned Larks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning, I spent time photographing a male Horned Lark perched on a barbed wire fence in the West Desert, with Stansbury Island in the background.

West Desert Tarantula-hawk Wasp

By |2023-10-05T04:52:53-06:00October 5th, 2023|Categories: Thisbe's Tarantula-hawk Wasps, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been meaning to share this Tarantula-hawk Wasp photo that I took in the West Desert of Utah for about a year, and today is as good a day as any.

Blooming Prickly Poppies In The West Desert

By |2023-05-26T02:59:24-06:00May 26th, 2023|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Prickly Poppies are one of my favorite summer wildflowers. I find these poppies in desert habitats, most often in the foothills of sky island mountain ranges.

Spring Wild Turkey Photos With Snow

By |2023-04-04T04:59:10-06:00April 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago by this date I was already taking Wild Turkey photos in the canyons of the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.

Rock Squirrel Tree Topper

By |2023-04-02T05:03:06-06:00April 2nd, 2023|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost three years ago, I photographed this Rock Squirrel perched in top of a juniper in the foothills of some sky island mountains in the West Desert of Utah.

Wings Over People: My Love for Bird Photography

By |2023-09-09T07:56:01-06:00March 2nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Rough-legged Hawks, Salt Lake County, San Juan County, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , |

This could also be titled "Why I prefer to bird photography over people photography" and I will explain why this morning.

West Desert Western Bluebird Memory

By |2023-02-24T05:05:07-07:00February 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Bluebirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing a Western Bluebird memory from seven years ago. That day I found small flock of these colorful bluebirds in the West Desert.

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay With Different Backgrounds

By |2023-01-12T14:31:38-07:00January 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm sharing two photos of the same Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay perched in the West Desert on the same juniper with two different backgrounds.

Immature Ferruginous Hawk In December

By |2023-11-24T03:56:36-07:00December 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was overjoyed to see an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk in my viewfinder four years ago in December while I was out in Utah's West Desert.

West Desert Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2023-11-24T03:29:26-07:00November 21st, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nearly three years have passed since I found, pointed out, and photographed this stunning dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert of Utah.

Red-tailed Hawk Waiting For The Light

By |2023-10-19T03:36:18-06:00October 4th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My favorite of the hawks I photographed in the West Desert yesterday was this adult Red-tailed Hawk on a fence post waiting for the morning light.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-10-05T04:56:49-06:00September 11th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last month while I wandered in the West Desert I found an immature Red-tailed Hawk perched on a wooden fence post in the foothills of some sky island mountains.

West Desert Butterfly Photos

By |2022-09-09T04:59:28-06:00September 9th, 2022|Categories: Camillus Crescent Butterflies, Mormon Fritillary Butterflies, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I did some West Desert wandering and while I was there I took some butterfly photos that clumps of blooming rabbitbrush had attracted.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2022

By |2022-09-03T05:35:50-06:00September 3rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first Saturday of September is International Vulture Awareness Day which is a day to bring awareness to these birds that face a range of threats.

Young Western Kingbird In The West Desert

By |2022-08-20T04:38:29-06:00August 20th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out exploring in the West Desert three days ago I spotted this young Western Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence close to the road.

West Desert Great Basin Gopher Snake

By |2022-08-19T19:38:42-06:00August 19th, 2022|Categories: Gopher Snakes, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago while out exploring the West Desert of Utah I was thrilled to come across a large Great Basin Gopher Snake warming itself on a dusty dirt road.

Fading Flatbud Prickly Poppy

By |2022-08-15T05:30:25-06:00August 15th, 2022|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am keeping this fading Flatbud Prickly Poppy post short and sweet for two simple reasons.

Young And Scruffy Yellow-rumped Warbler

By |2022-08-13T03:13:08-06:00August 13th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I spent a few moments focused on a scruffy young Yellow-rumped Warbler perched above a creek in the sky island mountains of the West Desert.

Black-throated Gray Warbler Images

By |2023-09-08T02:48:21-06:00August 9th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing two Black-throated Gray Warbler images that I took yesterday while exploring the canyons of sky island mountains in the West Desert.

Female Western Tanager Perched On A Juniper

By |2022-05-25T05:25:09-06:00May 25th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Tanagers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent time photographing a female Western Tanager perched on a juniper in a canyon out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.

Lark Sparrow Photos Taken In The West Desert

By |2022-06-05T05:14:06-06:00May 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Lark Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I haven't shared any of my recent Lark Sparrow photos this spring so I thought I would remedy that by sharing some that I took out in the West Desert nine days ago.

Western Chokecherry Before Blooming

By |2022-05-18T04:54:35-06:00May 18th, 2022|Categories: Tooele County, Trees, Shrubs and Flowers, Utah, West Desert, Western Chokecherry|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I stopped to take photos of a Western Chokecherry because I could see that there were flower buds on it and I want to follow this chokecherry this year.

Spring Pine Siskin In Sagebrush

By |2022-05-16T05:00:31-06:00May 16th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Pine Siskins, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I mentioned that a Pine Siskin chased away the Chipping Sparrow that I shared photos of. This is that Pine Siskin perched on another sage.

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