sky island mountains

Juniper Titmouse Photos In Utah

By |2023-12-13T04:24:05-06:00December 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.

Another Scrub-Jay Name Change in 2024

By |2023-12-05T04:38:31-06:00December 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ophir Canyon, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Lately, I've been wondering what the new name for the Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay species, that I photograph here in Utah, will be when it is changed in 2024.

Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By |2023-11-24T04:42:58-06:00November 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 |2023-10-19T03:13:49-05:00October 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.

Autumn Flatbud Prickly Poppy

By |2023-10-08T05:04:33-05:00October 8th, 2023|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I drove out to the West Desert for some peace and solitude three days ago, I was thrilled to spot this Flatbud Prickly Poppy still in bloom.

Black-footed Drone Fly On Rabbitbrush

By |2023-10-07T05:00:56-05:00October 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 |2023-10-07T04:35:02-05:00October 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.

West Desert Tarantula-hawk Wasp

By |2023-10-05T04:52:53-05:00October 5th, 2023|Categories: Thisbe's Tarantula-hawk Wasps, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been meaning to share this Tarantula-hawk Wasp photo that I took in the West Desert of Utah for about a year, and today is as good a day as any.

Blooming Prickly Poppies In The West Desert

By |2023-05-26T02:59:24-05:00May 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.

Spring Wild Turkey Photos With Snow

By |2023-04-04T04:59:10-05:00April 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago by this date I was already taking Wild Turkey photos in the canyons of the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.

Rock Squirrel Tree Topper

By |2023-04-02T05:03:06-05:00April 2nd, 2023|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost three years ago, I photographed this Rock Squirrel perched in top of a juniper in the foothills of some sky island mountains in the West Desert of Utah.

West Desert Western Bluebird Memory

By |2023-02-24T05:05:07-06:00February 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.

Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay With Different Backgrounds

By |2023-01-12T14:31:38-06:00January 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm sharing two photos of the same Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay perched in the West Desert on the same juniper with two different backgrounds.

West Desert Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |2023-11-24T03:29:26-06:00November 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 |2023-10-05T04:56:49-05:00September 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.

West Desert Butterfly Photos

By |2022-09-09T04:59:28-05:00September 9th, 2022|Categories: Camillus Crescent Butterflies, Mormon Fritillary Butterflies, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I did some West Desert wandering and while I was there I took some butterfly photos that clumps of blooming rabbitbrush had attracted.

Young Western Kingbird In The West Desert

By |2022-08-20T04:38:29-05:00August 20th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out exploring in the West Desert three days ago I spotted this young Western Kingbird perched on a barbed wire fence close to the road.

West Desert Great Basin Gopher Snake

By |2022-08-19T19:38:42-05:00August 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.

Young And Scruffy Yellow-rumped Warbler

By |2022-08-13T03:13:08-05:00August 13th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this week I spent a few moments focused on a scruffy young Yellow-rumped Warbler perched above a creek in the sky island mountains of the West Desert.

Black-throated Gray Warbler Images

By |2023-09-08T02:48:21-05:00August 9th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing two Black-throated Gray Warbler images that I took yesterday while exploring the canyons of sky island mountains in the West Desert.

Female Western Tanager Perched On A Juniper

By |2022-05-25T05:25:09-05:00May 25th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Tanagers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent time photographing a female Western Tanager perched on a juniper in a canyon out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.

Western Chokecherry Before Blooming

By |2022-05-18T04:54:35-05:00May 18th, 2022|Categories: Tooele County, Trees, Shrubs and Flowers, Utah, West Desert, Western Chokecherry|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I stopped to take photos of a Western Chokecherry because I could see that there were flower buds on it and I want to follow this chokecherry this year.

Spring Pine Siskin In Sagebrush

By |2022-05-16T05:00:31-05:00May 16th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Pine Siskins, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I mentioned that a Pine Siskin chased away the Chipping Sparrow that I shared photos of. This is that Pine Siskin perched on another sage.

Spring Chipping Sparrow Images

By |2022-05-15T04:25:09-05:00May 15th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I had a Chipping Sparrow in breeding plumage perched on sage at the edge of a forest in my viewfinder for a few seconds.

Spring Male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

By |2022-05-14T06:39:43-05:00May 14th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was thrilled to find and photograph a male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in spring breeding plumage yesterday at the edge of a juniper woodland in Tooele County.

West Desert Mountain Bluebird

By |2022-05-13T05:05:53-05:00May 13th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is always lovely to have a male Mountain Bluebird like this one I found in the West Desert in my viewfinder because they rival the color of the sky overhead.

Gray Flycatcher And Memories Of Billy Fenimore

By |2024-02-05T14:32:26-06:00May 11th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Gray Flycatchers, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out in the West Desert of Utah yesterday I thought about my friend Billy Fenimore and his family as I photographed this adult Gray Flycatcher.

Male Mountain Bluebird, Shadows And A Big Stick

By |2022-04-19T05:06:57-05:00April 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.

Swallow Photos

By |2024-03-25T07:58:05-05:00March 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.

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