{"id":73979,"date":"2020-09-22T05:39:54","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T11:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=73979"},"modified":"2026-05-09T14:56:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T19:56:33","slug":"warbling-vireo-and-fall-colors-in-the-stansbury-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/22\/warbling-vireo-and-fall-colors-in-the-stansbury-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Warbling-Vireo And Fall Colors In The Stansbury Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WarblingWestern Warbling-Vireo and fall colors – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/250, ISO 640, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday was a little messed up for me but I still did alright. I left for the West Desert later than normal feeling like I was under pressure because I had to be back home and in front of my computer by noon to resolve an ongoing issue.<\/p>\n

I really don’t like to rush or be rushed when I am out in nature looking for birds.<\/p>\n

But when the first bird I saw when I get to my location is a Peregrine Falcon things started to look up. I wasn’t able to get photos of the falcon.<\/p>\n

The first bird I photographed was an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched on a juniper in the foothills. The hawk was so relaxed that I left it where I spotted it because I knew I had to pay attention to time and I wanted to check out a couple of locations higher in the mountains.<\/p>\n

I was delighted to find sparrows, towhees, tanagers, nuthatches, and vireos high up in the canyon in a spot where I have photographed other birds in spring.<\/p>\n

I’d label the bird activity there as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. The angle of light in that location is a little tricky.<\/p>\n

When this Western Warbling-Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast. I started taking photos of the vireo and adjusted my exposure compensation setting on the fly.<\/p>\n

I also forgot that my aperture was set at f8 because the last subject I photographed was a Rock Squirrel in a sumac that was so close all I could photograph was its face. Oh well, my slip up didn’t affect the quality of this image.<\/p>\n

The yellow color in the background of this Western Warbling-Vireo image looks like a splash of sunshine to me.<\/p>\n

Not everything is as it seems though because that yellow color is actually created by out of focus autumn leaves in the distance. I was rushing so much that I didn’t pay attention to what kind of trees were in the background.<\/p>\n

It is probably a cottonwood but it might have been a box elder or linden tree. Whatever it was I am glad it was there because I like that pop of yellow in this photo.<\/p>\n

Update: The tree with the yellow leaves is a Box Elder. I checked it out on a trip to the same location on 9\/23. <\/em><\/p>\n

The Western Warbling-Vireo<\/span><\/a> is kind of back and side lit. Typically I prefer to have the sun behind my shoulders when I am photographing birds. I am pleased with how this image and a few of the others I took of this Warbling Vireo turned out though.<\/p>\n

On my way back down the mountain in my rush to get home I stopped long enough to take photos of another adult Red-tailed Hawk in the foothills that was feasting on a snake before I had put my foot on the gas pedal to hurry home.<\/p>\n

Now I feel the desire to go back out there and take my time own sweet time looking for the birds and wildlife in a much more relaxed way.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

When this Western Warbling-Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145010,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1316,358,26,1314,6709],"tags":[10445,970,2485,10444,3940,10447,4098,10450,4620,4069,4104,10446,4342,10452,6716,6711,6717,16661],"class_list":["post-73979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-stansbury-mountains-utah","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","category-warbling-vireos","tag-acer-negundo","tag-autumn","tag-back-lit","tag-box-elder","tag-canyon","tag-cornus-sericea","tag-desert","tag-dogwood","tag-fall","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-red-osier-dogwood","tag-side-lit","tag-sky-island-mountains","tag-vireo","tag-vireo-swainsoni","tag-vireos","tag-western-warbling-vireo"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t