{"id":8765,"date":"2013-07-01T03:45:09","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T09:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=8765"},"modified":"2025-11-06T06:00:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T12:00:46","slug":"sage-thrashers-aplenty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/07\/01\/sage-thrashers-aplenty\/","title":{"rendered":"Sage Thrashers Aplenty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SageSage Thrasher with its eye on a Paper Wasp – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There are Sage Thrashers aplenty on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> right now and they have been thrashing, dashing and singing their little hearts out the last three trips I have made out to the island.<\/p>\n

It is very hot and the Deer Flies are ripping into my skin but I’m not about to let them stop me from photographing the Sage Thrashers. I guess no one has told the Deer Flies that I am human and not a deer.<\/p>\n

On June 24th while I was photographing the Sage Thrasher above a Paper Wasp flew in close to the thrasher and the thrasher kept a close eye on it. I thought the bird might try to snatch the wasp out of the air but it didn’t and the wasp flew off.<\/p>\n

\"AlertAlert Sage Thrasher on Antelope Island – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Sage Thrashers aren’t easy to get close to so I have been happy that they have been approachable but they are always alert whether it is because of humans being close, traffic or keeping an eye out for prey.<\/p>\n

This one was perched on a rabbitbrush taking a look at its territory. I wondered if it had a nest nearby.<\/p>\n

\"PairPair of Sage Thrashers on a rabbitbrush – Nikon D300, f11, 1\/500, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I spotted a bird diving into the base of a rabbitbrush and I stopped to see if it would come back up. I’m glad I stopped because when I did I noticed a Sage Thrasher chick run into the brush and before long the adult popped up on the top of the rabbitbrush.<\/p>\n

The adult bird did pop up and it had an insect in its bill, I do have images of that but I will post those later.<\/p>\n

At one point in the distance I saw this pair of adult Sage Thrashers perched close to each other.<\/p>\n

\"BackBack view of a Sage Thrasher\u00a0– Nikon D300, f8, 1\/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The pair also seemed fond of this perch which is a dead part of another rabbitbrush and they spent time there looking around. I kept hoping that the chick I saw would fly up to be fed by its parents.<\/p>\n

No such luck yesterday, but I have a feeling it won’t be long until I see them do just that.<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher preening one tiny feather – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the adults decided to preen while it was perched on these twigs, I do wish I would have had a bit more eye contact than I was able to capture in this frame but I like the pose anyway because of how the thrasher has just one feather in its bill.<\/p>\n

\"PreeningPreening Sage Thrasher on a thin branch – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sage Thrasher seemed to ignore the big lens pointed at it and continued to preen and fluff.<\/p>\n

Ideally I wish that the two twigs sticking up behind the thrasher weren’t there but they were and I’m not keen on cloning things out.<\/p>\n

\"FluffedFluffed up Sage Thrasher\u00a0– Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I enjoyed all the different poses this Sage Thrasher showed while it preened yesterday. The thrasher also might have felt good when it fluffed like this if it allowed some of the heat under them to dissipate.<\/p>\n

Me? I was swatting Deer Flies off of my exposed skin, nasty buggers. They made me miss some shots!<\/p>\n

\"SageSage Thrasher perched\u00a0– Nikon D300, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

An interesting tidbit about Sage Thrashers<\/span><\/a>:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

They recognize and remove the eggs of Brown Cowbirds who attempt to parasitize their nests\u00a0so they raise their own chicks unlike other birds that don’t remove the eggs and end up raising the Brown Cowbird chicks instead of their own broods.<\/p>\n

I hope the Sage Thrashers chicks start being visible too but in the meantime there are still Sage Thrashers aplenty on Antelope Island!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

There are Sage Thrashers aplenty on Antelope Island State Park right now and they have been thrashing, dashing and singing their little hearts out the last three trips I have made out to the island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162793,"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":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,103,26],"tags":[4004,4540,5180,11978,4309,821,2270,4450,4164,2139,2271,4104,4019,4289,4003,2315,4613,735],"class_list":["post-8765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-sage-thrashers","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-alert","tag-back-view","tag-desert-island","tag-fluffed-up","tag-mimids-2","tag-mountain-mockingbird","tag-nesting-season","tag-oreoscoptes-montanus","tag-pair","tag-paper-wasp","tag-perched","tag-preening-2","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sage-thrasher","tag-summer-3","tag-thrasher","tag-thrashers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-preening-mia-mcpherson-1578.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-2hn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14794,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/20\/sage-thrashers-mockingbirds-of-the-sagebrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":0},"title":"Sage Thrashers – Mockingbirds of the Sagebrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent some time yesterday on Antelope Island State Park photographing and listening to a very cooperative and melodious Sage Thrasher.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing Sage Thrasher in low light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100621,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/13\/looking-for-my-first-of-year-sage-thrasher\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":1},"title":"Looking For My First Of Year Sage Thrasher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"March 13th is an anniversary of sorts for me. The date is the earliest that I have seen and photographed a Sage Thrasher in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffy Sage Thrasher adult warming up on a rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":459,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/08\/23\/sage-thrashers\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":2},"title":"Sage Thrashers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers are from the Mimid family. They forage mainly on the ground for insects, though they do eat berries at times.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher juvenile on a rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14817,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/23\/sage-thrashers-and-sagebrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":3},"title":"Sage Thrashers and Sagebrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers are considered sagebrush obligates meaning that they require sagebrush for some part of their life cycle and for the Sage Thrashers in Utah that means they need it during the breeding cycle.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up Sage Thrasher and pastel hues, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-perched-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21014,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/22\/sage-thrashers-and-the-rapidly-disappearing-sea-of-sage\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":4},"title":"Sage Thrashers and the Rapidly Disappearing Sea of Sage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Can the disappearance of Sagebrush Seas be stopped? Yes, it could be but we need lawmakers that believe in science and act on it.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher in golden light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-5676.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":80469,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/05\/sage-thrashers-time-to-listen-for-their-march-melodies\/","url_meta":{"origin":8765,"position":5},"title":"Sage Thrashers – Time To Listen For Their March Melodies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers return to northern Utah in March and it is now time for me to start listening for their songs and melodies.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perched adult Sage Thrasher, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-2876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-2876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-2876.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-adult-mia-mcpherson-2876.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\/8765","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=8765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}