{"id":74239,"date":"2020-10-01T06:12:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=74239"},"modified":"2026-04-21T07:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:32:03","slug":"surprise-immature-osprey-in-the-west-desert-of-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/01\/surprise-immature-osprey-in-the-west-desert-of-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprise Immature Osprey In The West Desert Of Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ImmatureImmature Osprey in the West Desert of Utah \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Expect the unexpected.<\/p>\n

I don’t know how many times I have said “expect the unexpected” since I began photographing birds while talking to fellow photographers. I live by those words because you just never know what bird might show up in the strangest place.<\/p>\n

A White-tailed Kite in a Florida county where they hadn’t been seen in nearly 100 years. An Upland Sandpiper in the sagebrush steppe. A Baltimore Oriole in the Wasatch Mountains. A pair of Mountain Plovers on Antelope Island.<\/p>\n

When I expect the unexpected I pay more attention to the world around me. I also know that paying attention means I see more birds. People that always have their faces glued to their phones miss<\/em> birds, photographers that do that, miss<\/em> photos.<\/p>\n

Yesterday I hopped into my Jeep and headed for the West Desert of Utah for some peace and quiet hoping to escape all the negativity going on in our country so I could relax and hopefully find some birds.<\/p>\n

When I got to where I the hard top road ended and the gravel road began I turned on my camera and got ready.<\/p>\n

In the distance I saw a large bird perched on a wooden fence post and I hoped that I’d be taking images of a young Ferruginous Hawk that I know has been hanging out in that location because I saw a bright white breast on the bird.<\/p>\n

As I drove slowly forward and could start to make out more ID features of the perched raptor I identified the bird as an Osprey. In the desert.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Osprey in a desert setting \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn’t until I got my lens up and focused on the bird that I realized that it was hatch year Osprey. Because I know<\/em> birds I know that some young birds tend to wander to places a person might not expect them to be, especially during migration.<\/p>\n

I wouldn’t normally see Ospreys in this area because they are fish eaters and I was in a desert location.<\/p>\n

However; there is a man made reservoir less than a quarter of a mile from where I photographed this young Osprey and I know that it is stocked with fish so the young fish hawk isn’t as much of a “Wrong Way Corrigan” as you might be thinking.<\/p>\n

The young Osprey just laid over briefly on its first migration to fuel up for its long journey.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Osprey perched on a fence post in the West Desert \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I wish I could say that seeing and photographing this immature Osprey made up for the experience I had last week where I spotted an Osprey with prey flying high over East Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n

Because the automatic window of the vehicle I sitting in was locked in the down position I couldn’t get photos of it.\u00a0 When I needed to roll the window up to focus on the bird in the sky, I couldn’t.<\/p>\n

But this Osprey doesn’t make up for the one I missed photographing. It truly doesn’t. I should have had photos of both Ospreys.<\/p>\n

Yet photographing an immature Osprey in the desert isn’t something that happens all that frequently to me and I have to admit I was thrilled to see it perched in front of the mountains. I have good experiences.<\/p>\n

\"MoonMoon setting over the Stansbury Mountains at sunrise \u2013 Nikon D810, f11, 1\/2000, ISO 320, Nikkor Nikkor 18-200mm at 105mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought I’d include a photo of what the mountains that were behind the Osprey look like. This photo was taken October 6, 2017 and it shows the same mountain range that the young Osprey was perched in front of as a Harvest moon was setting and the sun was rising.<\/p>\n

The young Osprey<\/span><\/a> was my best bird of the day. After I photographed it I enjoyed the quiet solitude of the mountain canyons while seeing and hearing a few more birds.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I don’t know how many times I have said “expect the unexpected” since I began photographing birds while talking to fellow photographers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111723,"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":[27,466,1316,358,26,1314],"tags":[4098,898,4415,7017,5439,5381,4341,4169,4067,225,4069,3992,6784,4189,4104,153,4190,8917,4193],"class_list":["post-74239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-ospreys","category-stansbury-mountains-utah","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","tag-desert","tag-fence-post","tag-fish-hawk","tag-foothills","tag-harvest-moon","tag-hatch-year","tag-hatch-year-bird","tag-hawks","tag-immature","tag-moon","tag-mountains","tag-osprey","tag-ospreys","tag-pandion-haliaetus","tag-perched","tag-raptors","tag-sunrise","tag-wooden-post","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-immature-desert-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-2284.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-jjp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":124317,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/03\/15\/eyes-on-the-sky-osprey-migration-is-underway\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":0},"title":"Eyes On The Sky – Osprey Migration Is Underway","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It is time for me to keep my eyes on the sky because Osprey migration is underway. Online, in the past week, I've seen them being reported in Montana and Idaho.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Osprey on spring migration, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-urban-spring-migration-mia-mcpherson-3769.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-urban-spring-migration-mia-mcpherson-3769.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-urban-spring-migration-mia-mcpherson-3769.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-urban-spring-migration-mia-mcpherson-3769.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54046,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/09\/10\/juvenile-osprey-with-a-tiger-trout-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":1},"title":"Juvenile Osprey with a Tiger Trout in the Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday the \"unexpected\" bird was a juvenile Osprey in the Wasatch Mountains. I'd say it was unexpected because I'd been photographing songbirds and wasn't expecting to see North America's \"Fish Hawk\" in the same area.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Osprey with a Tiger Trout, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5704.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5704.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5704.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5704.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":158106,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/09\/27\/hatch-year-osprey-migrating-through-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":2},"title":"Hatch Year Osprey Migrating Through Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"My best find at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma yesterday was a migrating hatch year Osprey perched in the dead trees at Miner\u2019s Cove.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hatch year Osprey at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/osprey-young-sequoyah-nwr-ma-mcpherson-8938.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/osprey-young-sequoyah-nwr-ma-mcpherson-8938.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/osprey-young-sequoyah-nwr-ma-mcpherson-8938.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/osprey-young-sequoyah-nwr-ma-mcpherson-8938.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":111702,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/27\/first-of-year-osprey-plus-a-spring-snowstorm\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":3},"title":"First of Year Osprey Plus A Spring Snowstorm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I had something wonderful happen yesterday following a spring snowstorm in Salt Lake City. I found my first of year Osprey close to home perched on a pole.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"First of Year Osprey after a snowstorm, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-urban-first-of-year-6956.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-urban-first-of-year-6956.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-urban-first-of-year-6956.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/osprey-urban-first-of-year-6956.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113029,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/29\/osprey-lifting-off-after-missing-prey\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":4},"title":"Osprey Lifting Off After Missing Prey","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I had great fun photographing this Osprey lifting off from an unsuccessful dive for prey two days ago. It was definitely a challenge and I will explain why.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Osprey lifting off after an unsuccessful dive, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/osprey-coming-up-from-a-dive-mia-mcpherson-3792.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/osprey-coming-up-from-a-dive-mia-mcpherson-3792.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/osprey-coming-up-from-a-dive-mia-mcpherson-3792.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/osprey-coming-up-from-a-dive-mia-mcpherson-3792.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113528,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/05\/22\/peek-a-boo-osprey-in-flight-over-my-local-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":74239,"position":5},"title":"Peek-a-boo Osprey In Flight Over My Local Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 22, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of April I spent the morning photographing birds at my local pond. This peek-a-boo Osprey was one of my favorites images from that day.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Peek-a-boo Osprey in flight, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/osprey-peek-a-boo-flight-mia-mcpherson-2579.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/osprey-peek-a-boo-flight-mia-mcpherson-2579.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/osprey-peek-a-boo-flight-mia-mcpherson-2579.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/osprey-peek-a-boo-flight-mia-mcpherson-2579.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\/74239","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=74239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}