Spring Green-tailed Towhee Photo

Adult Green-tailed Towhee high in the mountains – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Two days ago I was able to take my first of season Green-tailed Towhee photos in Morgan County high in the Wasatch Mountains. On recent trips to the area I had heard and seen other towhees but wasn’t able to photograph them.

This Green-tailed Towhee caught my eye on a narrow section of the road where it was on the passenger side of my Jeep instead of the driver’s side and I wanted to get turned around before the bird flew off. About that time a pickup pulled up behind me from out of nowhere so I had to drive up the road where there was room to pull over and allow the pickup to pass me.

I turned around hoping that the Green-tailed Towhee had stayed where it was so that I could photograph it from the good side of my Jeep. As I drove back to where I had seen the towhee I could still see it perched on the leafless serviceberry shrub. I slowly pulled over to the shoulder of the hilly road and wouldn’t you know it? A large van drove up towards my Jeep from the north. I motioned to the driver to pass me and then I was finally able to get the Green-tailed Towhee in my viewfinder.

Side note: This Green-tailed Towhee wasn’t singing when I found it, it was mewing though.  The mew call of Green-tailed Towhees sounds much like the calls of Franklin’s Gulls in flight to the untrained ear.

I was only able to take 26 photos of the Green-tailed Towhee before it flew across the road and out of my sight. Of the images I took I liked this one the most because of the raised rusty crown and the great view of the greenish tail that gives this sparrow species their common name. I was delighted to have spent just a few seconds with this bird and that it hung around long enough for me to photograph it.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Green-tailed Towhee photos plus facts and information about this species.