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.

Western Bluebirds in Tooele County

By |2023-02-24T07:00:09-06:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Bluebirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seeing these uncommon Western Bluebirds in Tooele County in the Stansbury Mountain Range yesterday is part of why I love bird photography so much.

An Adult Sage Thrasher with Prey on Public Land

By |2022-03-13T13:54:19-05:00January 14th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Sage Thrashers, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This adult Sage Thrasher with prey was photographed on public lands in Tooele County in one of the canyons of the Stansbury Mountains last July.

West Desert Wanderings – Thrashers and Hawks

By |2022-08-31T07:20:03-05:00July 22nd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Sage Thrashers, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I went wandering in the West Desert of Utah yesterday because the views are always great and because I hoped to find a few birds.

Mourning Dove in the Stansbury Mountains and a few bonus Short-Eared Owls

By |2024-03-07T07:10:14-06:00May 22nd, 2015|Categories: Birds, James W Fitzgerald WMA, Mourning Doves, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I spotted this Mourning Dove perched on an old fence post in the morning light I couldn't resist photographing it.

West Desert Medley of Birds

By |2024-04-05T04:51:48-05:00April 22nd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Chipping Sparrows, Horned Larks, Red-tailed Hawks, Say's Phoebes, Spotted Towhees, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday was a delight in the West Desert because there were plentiful birds to photograph including this male Spotted Towhee singing on its territory.

Moon set over the Stansbury Mountains of the West Desert

By |2021-10-10T05:50:34-05:00October 22nd, 2013|Categories: Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, western skies|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday while in the West Desert in Tooele County the cirrus clouds appealed to me that fanned out over the Stansbury Mountains.

Red-tailed Hawks – Buteo jamaicensis

By |2021-08-13T04:06:43-05:00June 4th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Buteos are medium to large hawks with broad wings, wide bodies and short tails that soar in wide lazy circles and most often hunt from a high perch from which they drop down to their prey.

Feathers & Fur

By |2020-04-05T08:50:28-05:00March 13th, 2012|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Horned Larks, Loggerhead Shrikes, Pronghorn, Tooele County, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today I thought I would post a few images taken this past week from Antelope Island State Park and the west desert in Tooele County. Feathers & Fur.

The West Desert of Utah

By |2021-06-21T19:06:28-05:00February 29th, 2012|Categories: Horned Larks, Pronghorn, Red-tailed Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I am one of those people who love deserts and the West Desert of Utah is once again beckoning to me. The weather here in Utah is very changeable right now, it can feel like spring one day and the next it still feels like winter but it won't be long before the weather levels out and the west desert will begin to green up.

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