foothills

Juniper Titmouse Photos In Utah

By |December 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.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |November 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.

Red-tailed Hawk On A West Desert Weather Station

By |October 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.

Black-footed Drone Fly On Rabbitbrush

By |October 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 |October 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.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2023

By |September 2nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black Vultures, Box Elder County, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is International Vulture Awareness Day 2023. I admit to having a soft spot for vultures because they are often misunderstood, and because I tend to stand up for those who have no voice.

Blooming Prickly Poppies In The West Desert

By |May 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.

World Water Day 2023

By |March 22nd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Glacier County, Glacier National Park, Juab County, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Sawgrass Lake Park, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today is World Water Day. The theme for World Water Day 2023 is: Accelerate Change. Every human being on this planet is roughly 60% water.

West Desert Western Bluebird Memory

By |February 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.

Immature Ferruginous Hawk In December

By |December 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 |November 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.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk In The West Desert

By |September 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.

International Vulture Awareness Day 2022

By |September 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.

West Desert Great Basin Gopher Snake

By |August 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.

Lark Sparrow Photos Taken In The West Desert

By |May 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.

Male Mountain Bluebird, Shadows And A Big Stick

By |April 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent some time wandering in the West Desert yesterday morning and the only decent bird photos that I took were of this male Mountain Bluebird.

Ferruginous Hawk In Bright Morning Light

By |December 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took this photo of a Ferruginous Hawk bathed in bright morning light back in October while I was out driving on dirt roads of the West Desert of Utah.

How I Found My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawks

By |November 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Ravens, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a very memorable first of year sighting of these Rough-legged Hawks. The kind where you sit there wondering if you really saw what you saw.

October West Desert Views Of Clouds, Mountains, And The Moon

By |October 10th, 2021|Categories: Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I wanted to share these photos of some West Desert views of clouds, mountains, and the moon because I'd like to be out there seeing and photographing them all.

Cooperative West Desert Red-tailed Hawk

By |September 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I photographed a very cooperative adult Red-tailed Hawk that was next to a road in the West Desert of Utah on a smoky morning.

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