sky island mountains

Swallow Photos

By |March 5th, 2022|Categories: Bank Swallows, Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallows, Morgan County, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tooele County, Tree Swallows, Utah, Violet-green Swallows, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I wanted to share swallow photos that show the six species of swallows I see and photograph in northern Utah while they are here for their nesting season.

Singing Townsend’s Solitaire Surrounded By Tiny Bugs

By |November 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Townsend's Solitaires, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend's Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs.

Drought-stricken Douglas Firs – How It Is Affecting The Birds That Eat The Seeds

By |November 7th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I was out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah a few days ago I was again met with virtual silence in and around the Douglas Firs that are there.

My Growing Concerns Over This Years Crop Of Douglas Fir Seeds Because Of Our Drought

By |October 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My trip out into the sky island mountains of the West Desert last week caused my concerns about this years crop of Douglas Fir seeds to grow.

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.

How I Found A Flock Of Clark’s Nutcrackers Yesterday

By |October 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Clark's Nutcrackers, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My eyes and my birding instincts didn't lead me astray because there was a Clark's Nutcracker perched at the top of the fir.

Thoughts on Our Drought, Douglas Firs, And Birds

By |September 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Drought stressed Douglas Fir trees will produce what is called a "stress crop" of cones which is what I believe is happening to the firs in this location.

More West Desert Red-tailed Hawk Images

By |September 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went out into the West Desert yesterday and came back with more Red-tailed Hawk images that I was delighted to have taken and that I am happy with.

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.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk Lifting Off

By |September 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It didn't take long before the Red-tailed Hawk raised its wings to lift off from the juniper with a smoky blue sky in the background.

Poppies, Birds, Trees, Butterflies And A Smoky Haze

By |August 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, Weidemeyer's Admiral Butterflies, West Desert, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning it was for blooming Prickly Poppies that were along the shoulder of the bumpy gravel road.

Lark Sparrow In Golden Morning Light

By |June 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Lark Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I photographed this adult Lark Sparrow that I found perched on an old fence post in golden light in the West Desert of Tooele County.

Chipping Sparrow With Food For Its Chicks

By |June 3rd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was photographing a Lark Sparrow when I spotted this Chipping Sparrow with food in its bill fly in and land on a juniper bough.

Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert

By |May 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Lazuli Buntings, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.

Male Western Tanager Close Up Image

By |May 29th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Tanagers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I had the opportunity to photograph a male Western Tanager up close in the foothills of some of the sky island mountains in the West Desert of Utah.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird And A Knothole

By |May 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday while out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert I spotted a female Black-chinned Hummingbird repeatedly checking out a knothole in a tree.

Violet-green Swallow Photos

By |May 27th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was able to take the Violet-green Swallow photos that I have been dreaming of since I first moved to Utah in 2009.

Singing Rock Wren In The West Desert

By |May 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday when I spotted a Rock Wren singing from the top of a juniper in Utah's West Desert I hoped to take a few decent photos of it before it flew away.

An Immature Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |November 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The highlight of my morning yesterday was when I spotted an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a cedar post in the West Desert.

Male Cassin’s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed

By |November 2nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This male Cassin's Finch did pop out into the open with a mahogany seed in his bill and even though he was in the shade I took a few photos of him.

Barbed Wire Death Trap – Western Meadowlark

By |October 15th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over the past month I thought about whether I wanted to share images and tell the story of this Western Meadowlark that lost its life because of a barbed wire death trap and finally decided that the story needed to be told.

Kinglets And Turkeys Plus One Scrub-Jay

By |October 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Wild Turkeys and the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay made the very bumpy and extremely dusty ride into the mountain canyons well worth taking.

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