{"id":21394,"date":"2015-04-07T06:23:03","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T12:23:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=21394"},"modified":"2025-11-06T10:45:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:45:43","slug":"nesting-sage-thrashers-in-a-rush-to-reproduce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/07\/nesting-sage-thrashers-in-a-rush-to-reproduce\/","title":{"rendered":"Nesting Sage Thrashers – In a Rush to Reproduce"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SageA Sage Thrasher with nesting materials – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph a Sage Thrasher with nesting materials in its bill on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both sexes build their nests so I really can’t say if this is a male or a female thrasher. The thrasher did stay on top of the rabbitbrush long enough for me to create a nice series of images of it and that delighted me.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher close up – Nikon D810, f10, 1\/500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Sage Thrashers are migratory and when they arrive on their breeding territory they quickly begin to select mates, breed and rear their young.<\/p>\n

It is possible that the Sage Thrashers here in Utah have more than one brood per season. I have seen Sage Thrashers courting as late as the end of June and apparent fledglings as late as August.<\/p>\n

The breeding season has begun and it is possible that within a month I will be seeing fledglings hopping around on the island on the boulders and bushes begging for food from their parents.<\/p>\n

Nesting Sage Thrashers are in a rush to reproduce when they arrive here in northern Utah, I have seen them displaying within the first week of their arrival.<\/p>\n

On another note, I saw my first of the year Northern Mockingbird on the island yesterday (no photos, it was too far away) and I am looking forward to photographing their courtship displays.<\/p>\n

Both the thrashers and mockingbirds are wonderful songbirds in the Mimidae<\/em> family and I quite often hear them before I see them.<\/p>\n

Life is good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Yesterday I had my first opportunity to photograph a Sage Thrasher with nesting materials in its bill on Antelope Island State Park. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,103,26],"tags":[4073,4142,11978,821,780,3976,440,4164,9226,3488,4003,2816,165,4613,735],"class_list":["post-21394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-sage-thrashers","category-utah","tag-breeding-season","tag-close-up","tag-desert-island","tag-mimids-2","tag-nest-building","tag-nesting","tag-nesting-materials","tag-oreoscoptes-montanus","tag-reproduce","tag-reproduction","tag-sage-thrasher","tag-song-birds","tag-spring","tag-thrasher","tag-thrashers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-close-up-mia-mcpherson-4034.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5z4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36791,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/03\/06\/sage-thrasher-in-golden-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":0},"title":"Sage Thrasher in Golden Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I didn't get to see Greater Sage Grouse on my recent trip to southern Utah but I did get a few brief looks at another sagebrush obligate when a single Sage Thrasher popped up into view.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher in golden light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-3497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-3497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-3497.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-3497.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100621,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/13\/looking-for-my-first-of-year-sage-thrasher\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":1},"title":"Looking For My First Of Year Sage Thrasher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"March 13th is an anniversary of sorts for me. The date is the earliest that I have seen and photographed a Sage Thrasher in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffy Sage Thrasher adult warming up on a rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":71287,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/06\/27\/crouching-sage-thrasher\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":2},"title":"Crouching Sage Thrasher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I hoped the Sage Thrasher would come closer so that I could photograph it and just about the time the Short-eared Owl lifted off the thrasher popped up on a nearby metal post.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Crouching Sage Thrasher adult on a metal post, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-3307.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8765,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/01\/sage-thrashers-aplenty\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":3},"title":"Sage Thrashers Aplenty","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"There are Sage Thrashers aplenty on Antelope Island State Park right now and they have been thrashing, dashing and singing their little hearts out the last three trips I have made out to the island.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preening Sage Thrasher on a thin branch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-preening-mia-mcpherson-1578.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-preening-mia-mcpherson-1578.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-preening-mia-mcpherson-1578.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-preening-mia-mcpherson-1578.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21014,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/22\/sage-thrashers-and-the-rapidly-disappearing-sea-of-sage\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":4},"title":"Sage Thrashers and the Rapidly Disappearing Sea of Sage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Can the disappearance of Sagebrush Seas be stopped? Yes, it could be but we need lawmakers that believe in science and act on it.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher in golden light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94260,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/30\/our-sage-thrashers-will-migrate-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":21394,"position":5},"title":"Our Sage Thrashers Will Migrate Soon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers are only in Utah for their breeding season and by now all their chicks have fledged and are feeding on their own.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Back view of a Sage Thrasher in early morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}