{"id":60740,"date":"2019-10-09T06:49:29","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T12:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=60740"},"modified":"2021-11-13T08:05:20","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T15:05:20","slug":"photographing-autumn-townsends-solitaires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/09\/photographing-autumn-townsends-solitaires\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographing Autumn Townsend’s Solitaires"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AutumnAutumn Townsend’s Solitaire on a branch – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Last Friday as I looked for birds in a few West Desert canyons I was serenaded by the songs<\/span><\/a> and calls<\/span><\/a> of Townsend’s Solitaires and while I loved hearing them it was frustrating because they were either too far away or hidden from my view. The only photographs I took of them that day weren’t up to my standards.<\/p>\n

It was relaxing and peaceful to sit quietly in my Jeep listening to them sing with the sounds of the wind in the trees to accompany their them. The solitaires seemed to be everywhere I went that morning.<\/p>\n

This past Sunday when I was in Box Elder County I was able to photograph several Townsend’s Solitaires on trees, branches and rocks but they didn’t sing and barely called.<\/p>\n

\"AlertAlert Townsend’s Solitaire perched on top of a tree – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I am happy because these solitaires were close enough photograph and to date these are my best photos of this species. I hope to take more and better images of them soon, that is “if” some of the seasonal roads remain open long enough. I may just pack a lunch and sit in one location all day long if that is what it takes.<\/p>\n

This Townsend’s Solitaire is perched on a Netleaf Hackberry tree.<\/p>\n

\"Townsend'sTownsend’s Solitaire and a bright blue sky – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Townsend’s Solitaires I photographed on Sunday moved around a lot and they often perched where there was blue sky behind them. I felt that some of the backgrounds were rather plain.<\/p>\n

\"Townsend'sTownsend’s Solitaire on lichen covered rocks – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I felt lucky the few times the Townsend’s Solitaires perched on lichen covered rocks but my dream shots include having them perched on firs and junipers in the mountains. I’m just going to have to work harder on getting the photos I want of these lovely song birds.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Townsend\u2019s Solitaire photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last Friday as I looked for birds in a few West Desert canyons I was serenaded by the songs and calls of Townsend’s Solitaires and while I loved hearing them it was frustrating because they were either too far away or hidden from my view.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[27,1148,7832,26],"tags":[4540,970,2069,4897,9874,4098,4620,5290,7837,3291,7834,9873,4104,8301,8300,4470,7835,7836,3844,4881,7833,4427],"class_list":["post-60740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-townsends-solitaires","category-utah","tag-alert","tag-autumn","tag-blue-sky","tag-branch","tag-celtis-reticulata","tag-desert","tag-fall","tag-fall-migration","tag-hackberry","tag-lichen","tag-myadestes-townsendi","tag-netleaf-hackberry","tag-perched","tag-photograph","tag-photographing","tag-rocks","tag-solitaire","tag-solitaires","tag-thrush","tag-thrushes","tag-townsends-solitaire","tag-tree"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-hackberry-perched-mia-mcpherson-4840.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fNG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":118391,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/20\/my-solitaire-common-name-change-recommendation\/","url_meta":{"origin":60740,"position":0},"title":"My Solitaire Common Name Change Recommendation","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2024, the common name for Townsend's Solitaire will change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Townsend's Solitaire perched on a snowy juniper, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/townsends-solitaire-snow-juniper-mia-mcpherson-8383.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/townsends-solitaire-snow-juniper-mia-mcpherson-8383.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/townsends-solitaire-snow-juniper-mia-mcpherson-8383.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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McPherson","date":"November 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend's Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing Townsend's Solitaire and tiny flying bugs, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107434,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/21\/desert-townsends-solitaire\/","url_meta":{"origin":60740,"position":3},"title":"Desert Townsend’s Solitaire","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I was thrilled to find and take pictures of a Townsend's Solitaire perched on the bare branches of a sumac on my journey yesterday morning to far northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn Townsend's Solitaire in a desert, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/townsends-solitaire-autumn-mia-mcpherson-1554-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/townsends-solitaire-autumn-mia-mcpherson-1554-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/townsends-solitaire-autumn-mia-mcpherson-1554-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/townsends-solitaire-autumn-mia-mcpherson-1554-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95839,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/04\/autumn-townsends-solitaire-plus-snow-in-the-10-day-forecast\/","url_meta":{"origin":60740,"position":4},"title":"Autumn Townsend’s Solitaire Plus Snow In The 10 Day Forecast","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I found quite a few birds yesterday in far northern Utah and of all the photos I took this autumn Townsend's Solitaire was my favorite.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn Townsend's Solitaire, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":72159,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/07\/24\/juvenile-townsends-solitaire\/","url_meta":{"origin":60740,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile Townsend’s Solitaire","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I didn't miss photographing this gorgeous juvenile Townsend's Solitaire because I remembered to pay attention to what was going on beyond my viewfinder.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Townsend's Solitaire perched on an old branch, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, 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