{"id":66981,"date":"2020-03-13T05:29:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T11:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=66981"},"modified":"2025-10-18T18:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T23:07:52","slug":"wild-turkey-hen-in-sage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/13\/wild-turkey-hen-in-sage\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Turkey Hen In Sage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WildWild Turkey hen in sagebrush – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I was able to photograph a Wild Turkey hen in sage.<\/p>\n

Not culinary sage but the wild sage we have here in northern Utah. I noticed in my photos of this hen that the sagebrush is starting to send out fresh leaves and that is a good indicator of spring.<\/p>\n

In fact I started to title this post “Spring Wild Turkey Hen In Sage” and then realized it really isn’t quite spring yet even though it felt like it yesterday.<\/p>\n

There were toms in the small flocks I saw yesterday morning and some of them were displaying but I had a fence in front of those toms and I wasn’t able to get a single photo of them with their tails spread out that I was happy with.<\/p>\n

The hens were a bit easier for me to photograph because they were more out in the open.<\/p>\n

This Wild Turkey hen was on the move when I photographed her and at first I didn’t care for this photo because the hen doesn’t stand out very well but then I realized that this image showed her in the habitat I find these large upland game birds in most often in Box Elder County<\/span><\/a> and gave the photo a second look.<\/p>\n

I like to include habitat in my bird photos when I can and this image certainly does that.<\/p>\n

Both times I was on flocks of Wild Turkeys yesterday two different pickup trucks went by and flushed them. That is a part of the frustrations of being a bird photographer, other people simply living their lives can disrupt photographing the birds.<\/p>\n

Stuff happens though and I was happy to have these big, beautiful birds in my viewfinder for as long as I did.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Yesterday I was able to photograph a Wild Turkey hen in sage. Not culinary sage but the wild sage we have here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160875,"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":[27,1148,26,3793],"tags":[4004,4070,9311,1023,683,4359,3795,9312,16903,2817,4057,3796,5501,3794],"class_list":["post-66981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","category-wild-turkeys","tag-adult","tag-female","tag-fresh-leaves","tag-frustrations-in-bird-photography1","tag-habitat-2","tag-hen","tag-meleagris-gallopavo","tag-on-the-move","tag-promontory-peninsula","tag-sage","tag-sagebrush","tag-turkey","tag-turkeys","tag-wild-turkey"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wild-turkey-in-sage-mia-mcpheson-7826.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hql","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67770,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/02\/smoke-phase-wild-turkey-hen-plus-a-displaying-tom\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":0},"title":"Smoke Phase Wild Turkey Hen (Smoke Morph) in Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If I hadn't have been paying attention yesterday I might have missed out on spotting a flock of turkeys in some junipers and photographing a smoke phase Wild Turkey hen.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Smoke phase Wild Turkey hen, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-smoke-phase-hen-mia-mcpherson-9985.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-smoke-phase-hen-mia-mcpherson-9985.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-smoke-phase-hen-mia-mcpherson-9985.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-smoke-phase-hen-mia-mcpherson-9985.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67257,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/21\/wild-turkey-hens-on-bales-of-hay\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":1},"title":"Wild Turkey Hens On Bales Of Hay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm hoping to get back up into some mountains soon where I know more Wild Turkeys are because as much as I like the bales of hay in these photos I'd love to get photos of turkeys in more natural settings again.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Curious Wild Turkey hen on a bale of hay, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/wild-turkey-hen-curious-hay-mia-mcpherson-7473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/wild-turkey-hen-curious-hay-mia-mcpherson-7473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/wild-turkey-hen-curious-hay-mia-mcpherson-7473.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/wild-turkey-hen-curious-hay-mia-mcpherson-7473.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":99650,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/02\/04\/wild-turkey-hen-perched-in-a-netleaf-hackberry-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":2},"title":"Wild Turkey Hen Perched In A Netleaf Hackberry Tree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month while up in Box Elder County looking for birds I spotted this Wild Turkey hen perched in a Netleaf Hackberry tree not long before noon.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wild Turkey hen perched in a Netleaf Hackberry, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/wild-turkey-hen-netleaf-hackberry-mia-mcpherson-0095.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/wild-turkey-hen-netleaf-hackberry-mia-mcpherson-0095.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/wild-turkey-hen-netleaf-hackberry-mia-mcpherson-0095.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/wild-turkey-hen-netleaf-hackberry-mia-mcpherson-0095.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":81681,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/17\/spring-wild-turkey-tom-displays\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":3},"title":"Spring Wild Turkey Tom Displays","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The last time I was up in the Wasatch Mountains I found a Wild Turkey tom displaying next to some old farm equipment for the nearby hens.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tom Wild Turkey strutting in spring, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mountains-mia-mcpherson-1248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mountains-mia-mcpherson-1248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mountains-mia-mcpherson-1248.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-mountains-mia-mcpherson-1248.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":96163,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/11\/autumn-wild-turkey-hen-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":4},"title":"Autumn Wild Turkey Hen Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I found this Wild Turkey hen last autumn as she walked out of the shadows of the forest and into the bright morning light.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn Wild Turkey hen portrait, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wild-turkey-hen-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5183.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112035,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/04\/spring-wild-turkey-photos-with-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":66981,"position":5},"title":"Spring Wild Turkey Photos With Snow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Three years ago by this date I was already taking Wild Turkey photos in the canyons of the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Displaying Wild Turkey tom in spring snow, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-spring-mia-mcpherson-1438.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-spring-mia-mcpherson-1438.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-spring-mia-mcpherson-1438.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/wild-turkey-tom-displaying-spring-mia-mcpherson-1438.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\/66981","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=66981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}