{"id":37783,"date":"2016-04-01T06:09:31","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T12:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=37783"},"modified":"2025-11-06T15:53:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T21:53:53","slug":"sage-thrasher-and-lark-sparrow-on-rabbitbrush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/01\/sage-thrasher-and-lark-sparrow-on-rabbitbrush\/","title":{"rendered":"Sage Thrasher and Lark Sparrow on Rabbitbrush"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SageSage Thrasher with grasshopper – Nikon D810, f10, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Sage Thrashers and Lark Sparrows migrate to Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> at about the same time to nest and raise their young. I am fortunate that I spend as much time as I do on the island observing and photographing these two species.<\/p>\n

I find both species most often where there is sagebrush or rabbitbrush. As much as I love the aroma of sagebrush and its appearance I also like the soft green, needle-like leaves of the rabbitbrush.<\/p>\n

It was towards the middle of April last year when I photographed this adult Sage Thrasher with a grasshopper in its bill which meant it was already feeding its young from a first brood. Some where close to where this thrasher perched on rabbitbrush there was a nest with chicks waiting to be fed.<\/p>\n

\"LarkLark Sparrow with raised wings – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

A few days later near the same location that I photographed the Sage Thrasher I photographed this Lark Sparrow on top of rabbitbrush with its wings raised. The sparrow may have seen another Lark Sparrow nearby and reacted to its presence or it might have been reacting to another species of bird but I liked this behavior and the pose.<\/p>\n

This Sage Thrasher and Lark Sparrow on rabbitbrush are only two of the birds that benefit from the rabbitbrush on Antelope Island.<\/p>\n

Rabbitbrush is abundant on the island and provides perches for many of the birds found there along with shelter from predators, a safe place to nest and the birds poke around in them looking for insects to eat.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t smell as aromatically pleasant as the sagebrush but I appreciate its appearance and the fact that so many birds are better off because of its presence.<\/p>\n

As I processed these two images it struck me that when I was photographing them the no-see-ums (biting gnats) were eating me alive at the time. I am dreading the biting gnat season which will start soon but I will put up with those nasty bugs to photograph the birds of Antelope Island.<\/p>\n

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

This Sage Thrasher and Lark Sparrow on rabbitbrush are only two of the birds that benefit from the rabbitbrush on Antelope Island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162943,"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":[511,27,1022,1465,103,26],"tags":[4004,4372,11978,1539,821,4164,4289,4003,855,4195,165,4613,735],"class_list":["post-37783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-lark-sparrows","category-sage-thrashers","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-chondestes-grammacus","tag-desert-island","tag-lark-sparrow","tag-mimids-2","tag-oreoscoptes-montanus","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sage-thrasher","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spring","tag-thrasher","tag-thrashers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-grashopper-mia-mcpherson-1190.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-9Pp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":38803,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/26\/a-few-lark-sparrow-facts\/","url_meta":{"origin":37783,"position":0},"title":"Lark Sparrow Facts","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I thought I would share a few Lark Sparrow facts, a sound recording and of course an image of a Lark Sparrow on the ground.","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":"Adult Lark Sparrow on Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/lark-sparrow-ground-mia-mcpherson-2862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/lark-sparrow-ground-mia-mcpherson-2862.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Sage Thrasher on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-mia-mcpherson-1006.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-mia-mcpherson-1006.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-mia-mcpherson-1006.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14858,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/29\/two-simple-sage-thrasher-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":37783,"position":2},"title":"Two simple Sage Thrasher Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 29, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"While on Antelope Island yesterday I was able to photograph these two Sage Thrashers in two different locations with one perched on Sagebrush and the other on Rabbitbrush.","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 a peachy background, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sage-thrasher-high-key-mia-mcpherson-9394.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sage-thrasher-high-key-mia-mcpherson-9394.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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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, 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Mornings Medley of Birds on Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Western Kingbird After several days of not being able to photograph birds because of bad weather I was pleasantly surprised to have a medley of birds to photograph on Antelope Island Monday.","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":"Juvenile Horned Lark, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/horned-lark-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3260.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/horned-lark-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-3260.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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