{"id":49199,"date":"2017-10-30T04:55:59","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T10:55:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=49199"},"modified":"2025-02-20T12:08:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T18:08:26","slug":"blue-gray-gnatcatcher-american-goldfinch-american-tree-sparrow-in-northern-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/10\/30\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-american-goldfinch-american-tree-sparrow-in-northern-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Goldfinch & American Tree Sparrow in Northern Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blue-grayBlue-gray Gnatcatcher in Autumn – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I spent time photographing primarily small birds yesterday in northern Utah which included Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, American Goldfinches and American Tree Sparrows.<\/p>\n

I heard the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher before I saw it and when it popped out into the open on a fall-colored Fragrant Sumac tree I was ready for it. I wish the background was less busy looking in this frame but the gray bird does stand out well from the oranges, browns and golds of the leaves despite the cluttered background.<\/p>\n

There were several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers foraging through the trees, rabbitbrush and other shrubs in the area and when I wasn’t photographing them it was fun to watch them search for food.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Goldfinch in nonbreeding plumage – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There were plenty of American Goldfinches in the area and most of them dove right into the trees and shrubs when they flew in so they weren’t visible most of the time but a few perched right out in the open allowing me plenty of time to photograph them. The American Goldfinches are in their drabber but still appealing nonbreeding plumage right now. I liked that I was able to get a sliver of the clear blue sky behind this goldfinch when I photographed it.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Tree Sparrow in the shadows – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a real treat for me to see and photograph several American Tree Sparrows yesterday because we only see these sparrows from late October until around late March and early April, they spend their breeding season in northern Canada and Alaska.<\/p>\n

I had seen another American Tree Sparrow earlier in October but it was to far away to get decent images of it and most of the ones I saw yesterday were also too far away but this one came in close.\u00a0 Although this American Tree Sparrow was in the shadow of a tree I couldn’t resist photographing it and I actually like how it turned out with the brightly lit rabbitbrush and shadowed water in the background. I hope to see more of these sparrows over the winter because I’ve not had as many opportunities with them as I would like. I love that small bi-colored bill!<\/p>\n

It was a morning where small birds filled my viewfinder and I enjoyed it.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I spent time photographing primarily small birds yesterday in northern Utah which included Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, American Goldfinches and American Tree Sparrows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140448,"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":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2715,2133,27,6135,1148,26],"tags":[2716,2815,970,6225,6134,4897,4620,3495,6767,9115,6147,6198,6199,4246,4104,6136,1994,855,4195,2717,2134,9114],"class_list":["post-49199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-goldfinches","category-american-tree-sparrows","category-avian","category-blue-gray-gnatcatchers","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","tag-american-goldfinch","tag-american-tree-sparrow","tag-autumn","tag-bi-colored-bill","tag-blue-gray-gnatcatcher","tag-branch","tag-fall","tag-finches","tag-fragrant-sumac","tag-gnatcatcher","tag-gnatcatchers","tag-goldfinch","tag-goldfinches","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-perched","tag-polioptila-caerulea","tag-shadow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spinus-tristis","tag-spizelloides-arborea","tag-tree-sparrow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-autumn-mia-mcpherson-4271.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cNx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":102382,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/05\/14\/spring-male-blue-gray-gnatcatcher\/","url_meta":{"origin":49199,"position":0},"title":"Spring Male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher looking curious, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-in-spring-mia-mcpherson-3299.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-in-spring-mia-mcpherson-3299.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-in-spring-mia-mcpherson-3299.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-in-spring-mia-mcpherson-3299.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":129366,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/06\/10\/young-blue-gray-gnatcatcher-at-tishomingo-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":49199,"position":1},"title":"Young Blue-gray Gnatcatcher At Tishomingo NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I couldn't resist photographing this sweet young Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on my most recent trip to Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. Why would I, anyway?","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, Johnston County, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-young-tishomingo-mia-mcpherson-3094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-young-tishomingo-mia-mcpherson-3094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-young-tishomingo-mia-mcpherson-3094.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/yellow-rumped-warbler-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherosn-7026.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/yellow-rumped-warbler-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherosn-7026.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/yellow-rumped-warbler-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherosn-7026.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/yellow-rumped-warbler-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherosn-7026.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":132833,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/21\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-plus-a-blue-supermoon\/","url_meta":{"origin":49199,"position":3},"title":"Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Plus A Blue Supermoon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 21, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The theme for today is blue subjects: Photos of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher on a driftwood perch, along with a Blue Supermoon image from early yesterday morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blue-gray Gnatcatcher landing on driftwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-3702.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blue-gray-gnatcatcher-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-3702.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Sparrows","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/emberzine-sparrows-allies\/american-tree-sparrows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Tree Sparrow on a Fragrant Sumac, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/american-tree-sparrow-adult-fragrant-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/american-tree-sparrow-adult-fragrant-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1313.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/american-tree-sparrow-adult-fragrant-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1313.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/american-tree-sparrow-adult-fragrant-sumac-mia-mcpherson-1313.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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