{"id":104467,"date":"2022-07-23T04:35:28","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T10:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=104467"},"modified":"2022-07-23T05:47:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T11:47:11","slug":"willow-flycatcher-in-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/23\/willow-flycatcher-in-july\/","title":{"rendered":"Willow Flycatcher In July"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Willow Flycatcher in a thicket \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 1600, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday morning I spent a few minutes with a cooperative adult Willow Flycatcher in a willow thicket high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>. The light I had while I was with this flycatcher was variable due to clouds to the east hanging over the mountain tops.<\/p>\n

I knew there were clouds before I headed up into the mountains but decided to go anyway. I needed to feel the cooler mountain air and to relax in nature. The flycatcher was a bonus.<\/p>\n

For what ever reasons this year I haven’t had as many opportunities to photograph Willow Flycatchers as I have had in previous years.\u00a0 Mostly, they just haven’t been close enough or hidden from view. Having this Willow Flycatcher up close and out in the open was a treat I hadn’t expected.<\/p>\n

\"WillowWillow Flycatcher on a July morning \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier in the morning I watched this Willow Flycatcher launching itself from the top of a willow to hawk insects from the air repeatedly. At that time the sun hadn’t come over the mountains yet and the creekside willows were all in the shade. I knew that I would have struggled with low shutter speeds so I simply observed the flycatcher catching its breakfast.<\/p>\n

I believe that this Willow Flycatcher and its mate have a nest in the area because it gets quite defensive and animated when other birds get near a particular clump of willows. I have seen it chase after Song Sparrows, Gray Catbirds and Lazuli Buntings to name a few of the birds it reacts to. I hope the pair of flycatchers raises a brood that will come back to this area next year.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Willow Flycatcher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday morning I spent a few minutes with a cooperative adult Willow Flycatcher in a willow thicket high in the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":104461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1731,26,773,3805],"tags":[4004,3940,3807,5241,3808,4884,4069,4104,9626,2315,3806,6070,902],"class_list":["post-104467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","category-willow-flycatchers","tag-adult","tag-canyon","tag-empidonax-traillii","tag-empids","tag-flycatcher","tag-flycatchers","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-riparian-habitat","tag-summer-3","tag-willow-flycatcher","tag-willow-thicket","tag-willows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t