Adult Western Kingbird perched on rusty barbed wire, Box Elder County, UtahAdult Western Kingbird perched on rusty barbed wire – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500,  Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Barbed wire is everywhere in the West, people have fought about fencing since the pioneers moved out this way. I hate when birds and wildlife get tangled up in it like Galileo, the Short-eared Owl that I helped to rescue, did two years ago. Love it or hate it though that barbed wire is here to stay and will be in my photos as long as I photograph birds.

I don’t mind old barbed wire in my photos because once it gets rusty it isn’t so jarring to my aesthetic senses, it is that brand new, shiny wire that gets me.

Last week I photographed this adult Western Kingbird perched on rusty barbed wire up in northern Utah with spring greenery behind it and I liked the greens, yellows, grays and whites in the photo. Because of our high temperatures in the Salt Lake Valley during the summer that “spring green” soon turns to tans and browns. Except for the irrigated lawns and fields that is.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Western Kingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.