{"id":3366,"date":"2011-10-22T18:56:02","date_gmt":"2011-10-23T00:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=3366"},"modified":"2025-11-05T19:09:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T01:09:29","slug":"turd-birds-errr-i-mean-sage-thrashers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/10\/22\/turd-birds-errr-i-mean-sage-thrashers\/","title":{"rendered":"Turd Birds; Errr… I Mean Sage Thrashers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SageSage Thrasher resting in the brush – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 305mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, I call Sage Thrashers “Turd Birds”, that is what I call any birds that are difficult to get close to or birds that seem to\u00a0have the ability\u00a0to read a bird photographers mind and when they hear\u00a0“I’ll get just a little closer before I start taking pictures” at which point the bird takes off.<\/p>\n

Sage Thrashers quite often perch on top of sagebrush and rabbitbrush and you would think they might be easy to photograph. Hah! They see you coming and dive down towards the bases of the bushes to hide. Or they let you see them but with a really messy background, like in the image above.\u00a0Just about any\u00a0bird photographer I know\u00a0loves to have a clean, pleasing background that doesn’t compete with the bird itself.<\/p>\n

I guess those Sage Thrashers didn’t get that<\/em> memo.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher tucked behind the flowers – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

Sage Thrashers know<\/em> how to test a bird photographer’s patience,\u00a0I see them partially hidden behind flowers and stop to get\u00a0my exposure and aperture set all the while the thrasher just sits there looking at\u00a0me over the flower heads.<\/p>\n

I get into position in case the Sage Thrasher moves towards the top of the shrub with the Great Salt Lake in the background to showing me its feathered body in glorious light. Checking the depth of field again, if it does come up I want to have enough depth of field to get the whole body sharp.<\/p>\n

And I wait, never taking my eye off of the bird through the viewfinder. And I wait some more.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher in flight – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 305mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

About the time I give up on the thrasher getting on top of the shrub I start to think about changing my settings in case the thrasher lifts off. I want less depth of field, more shutter speed so I can freeze the action.<\/p>\n

Those thoughts are the Sage Thrashers cue to lift off before I’m able to get those settings changed. Not enough shutter speed to freeze the action, argh!! Even worse, it doesn’t even give me a great angle when it flies.<\/p>\n

Turd Bird.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher on the ground – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, -0.3EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 260mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

Some times though a flock of Sage Thrashers will show up. When do they do that; you might ask? Oh, when the sun has gotten high enough that the light is really contrasty and harsh, never when the light is sweet.<\/p>\n

Another time they will show up in flocks is when you can’t get out of your mobile blind (vehicle) out of fear of scaring them away. Then all\u00a0I can get is a bad angle. You know, like I am taking it looking down from the top of the vehicle?<\/p>\n

I almost forgot, those flocks will also show up and\u00a0I think I am getting some really nice photos until\u00a0I get home and pull the images up on my screen and see some twig stuck to the birds feathers somewhere.<\/p>\n

I guess the Sage Thrashers didn’t get the memo about looking their best either<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher, way too close – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, -0.3EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u00a0are the Lunatic Sage Thrashers.\u00a0I pull up and stop because\u00a0I’m seeing\u00a0Sage Thrashers,\u00a0keeping\u00a0one eye on the birds to get my exposure set, adjust\u00a0my aperture all the while paying attention to the bird with my other eye.<\/p>\n

I finally get it all together when out of the blue the Sage Thrasher runs over to get as close to\u00a0me as it can, even going so far as to dash under the vehicle fearlessly! There goes my depth of field.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0can’t acquire focus on the Lunatic Sage Thrashers because they don’t ever stay still long enough, they race around willy-nilly until dizziness forces me to stop watching them. Think Ricochet Rabbit.<\/p>\n

I honestly think that the Lunatic Sage Thrashers believe they are Roadrunners! Meep, meep!<\/p>\n

\"Adult\u00a0Ahhh! Gotcha – Nikon D200, f7.1, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-4000mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or set up<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there are the “Grab Shots”, those unexplainable images where a bird shows up out of no where, posed in lovely light, no time to change any settings, just lock on focus and shoot and the photos come out looking beautiful.<\/p>\n

No planning. Go figure! The trick is to get those grab shots before the thrasher even realizes you are there.<\/p>\n

There sure are a lot of frustrations being a bird photographer but I wouldn’t change that for anything. The Lunatic Sage Thrashers will soon be gone for the winter and I won’t see them again until next year.<\/p>\n

I’ll have all winter long to think about how to out smart these cunning Sage Thrashers<\/span><\/a> next year.<\/p>\n

Yeah, right, like that is going to happen! They already have my number and already know how to yank my chain!<\/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":"

I can’t acquire focus on the Lunatic Sage Thrashers because they don’t ever stay still long enough, they race around willy-nilly until dizziness forces me to stop watching them. Think Ricochet Rabbit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162742,"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":[1022,510,89,103,5346,26,5347],"tags":[4004,6098,9222,6484,4052,1023,388,90,4282,4164,4289,4003,4613,735,4960],"class_list":["post-3366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-davis-county-utah","category-frustrations-in-bird-photography","category-humor","category-sage-thrashers","category-shrubs","category-utah","category-wildflowers","tag-adult","tag-blooming","tag-brush","tag-close","tag-flight","tag-frustrations-in-bird-photography1","tag-hidden","tag-humor-2","tag-lift-off","tag-oreoscoptes-montanus","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sage-thrasher","tag-thrasher","tag-thrashers","tag-turd-birds"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-hidden-mia-mcpherson-1328.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Si","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8765,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/01\/sage-thrashers-aplenty\/","url_meta":{"origin":3366,"position":0},"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":104808,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/08\/07\/sage-thrasher-in-riparian-habitat\/","url_meta":{"origin":3366,"position":1},"title":"Sage Thrasher In Riparian Habitat","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Towards the end of last month I found a Sage Thrasher high in the mountains in riparian habitat which surprised me. A lot.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher in riparian habitat, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sage-thrasher-riparian-habitat-mia-mcpherson-6554.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sage-thrasher-riparian-habitat-mia-mcpherson-6554.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sage-thrasher-riparian-habitat-mia-mcpherson-6554.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sage-thrasher-riparian-habitat-mia-mcpherson-6554.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This Sage Thrasher and Lark Sparrow on rabbitbrush are only two of the birds that benefit from the rabbitbrush on Antelope 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":"Sage Thrasher with grasshopper, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-grashopper-mia-mcpherson-1190.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-grashopper-mia-mcpherson-1190.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-grashopper-mia-mcpherson-1190.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-grashopper-mia-mcpherson-1190.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56920,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/29\/resting-sage-thrasher-plus-my-concerns-about-biting-gnats\/","url_meta":{"origin":3366,"position":4},"title":"Resting Sage Thrasher Plus My Concerns About Biting Gnats","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"So as of right now I am not sure whether I will be spending time on the island after the biting gnats come out which means if I am going to photograph Sage Thrashers displaying I need to find the thrashers some place else.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State 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