{"id":89541,"date":"2021-05-31T06:55:42","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T12:55:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=89541"},"modified":"2025-09-17T04:36:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T09:36:07","slug":"recent-birds-ive-found-in-the-west-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/31\/recent-birds-ive-found-in-the-west-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Lazuli Bunting perched in a juniper<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found and pointed out while I was out there. I have already shared some of the birds I found in separate posts including Violet-green Swallows, a female Black-chinned Hummingbird exploring a knothole and a sassy, singing Rock Wren.<\/p>\n

On the 26th of May the last birds I spotted were a Lark Sparrow and Lazuli Bunting<\/span><\/a> which were perched on posts next to the road. They were on the wrong side of the vehicle and by the time I was able to get back to where the two birds had been the Lark Sparrow had flown away and the Lazuli Bunting had moved to a juniper.<\/p>\n

I was happy that I spotted the Lazuli Bunting and was<\/em> able to photograph it. The males are such brilliantly colored birds I don’t know how anyone could miss seeing them. But I know that people do.<\/p>\n

This male did sing but when he sang his back was to me.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Red-tailed Hawk basking in the warmth of the morning sun<\/span><\/p>\n

The first bird I found on the 27th of May was a gorgeous adult Red-tailed Hawk<\/span><\/a> basking in the warmth of the morning sun while perched on a fence post. Having the darker mountains behind the bird seemed to make the hawk glow in the sunlight.<\/p>\n

\"WestWest Desert Western Kingbird on a juniper<\/span><\/p>\n

After photographing a Rock Wren the next bird I spotted was a Western Kingbird<\/span><\/a> just a bit up the road from the wren. I’m seeing more Western Kingbirds out in the West Desert than I have in the past and I kind of hope that trend continues. They are beautiful and feisty birds.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult House Wren in a mountain forest<\/span><\/p>\n

I also found a Northern House Wren<\/a><\/span> up higher in the forest of the mountains near an old nesting cavity. This House Wren wasn’t very cooperative and spent most of the time in the shadows of the trees. When the wren landed on this branch and had light on it I was ready to photograph the sassy, little bird.<\/p>\n

\"WarblingWarbling Vireo foraging in a wild rose<\/span><\/p>\n

The bird that was the hardest for me to find was this Warbling Vireo<\/span><\/a> foraging in a wild rose. I could hear it calling but for the longest time it stayed hidden from view. When the vireo popped out into the open for a few seconds the only reason I was able to take this photo was because I had kept my eyes on it.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Kingbird in the mountains of the West Desert<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming back down the mountains one of the last birds that I found on the 27th was another Western Kingbird perched on a barb wire fence. It was across the dusty road from another kingbird and I hope that this pair will nest nearby.<\/p>\n

These are just some of the birds I found and pointed out last week in the West Desert. I enjoyed photographing them all.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos in my galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":142824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"chat","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":[27,380,2586,449,358,26,1314,534,6709],"tags":[4004,4430,11844,4897,6530,5817,2497,3940,3830,898,7017,4136,5370,4033,4169,3914,4674,2691,3791,3772,1828,4062,11846,4378,4069,2587,4270,4104,153,4209,4018,10452,165,6987,2585,4183,298,2690,6716,6711,6717,11845,4411,16661,4507,8917,5802,3822],"class_list":["post-89541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-chat","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-lazuli-buntings","category-house-wrens","category-red-tailed-hawks","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","category-western-kingbirds","category-warbling-vireos","tag-adult","tag-barbed-wire","tag-basking","tag-branch","tag-bunting","tag-buntings","tag-buteos","tag-canyon","tag-fence","tag-fence-post","tag-foothills","tag-foraging","tag-forest","tag-hawk","tag-hawks","tag-juniper","tag-junipers","tag-juniperus-osteosperma","tag-kingbird","tag-kingbirds","tag-lazuli-bunting","tag-male","tag-mixed-deciduous-conifer-forest","tag-morning","tag-mountains","tag-house-wren","tag-passerina-amoena","tag-perched","tag-raptors","tag-red-tailed-hawk","tag-sky","tag-sky-island-mountains","tag-spring","tag-sun","tag-troglodytes-aedon","tag-tyrannus-verticalis","tag-tyrant-flycatchers-2","tag-utah-juniper","tag-vireo","tag-vireo-swainsoni","tag-vireos","tag-warmth","tag-western-kingbird","tag-western-warbling-vireo","tag-wild-rose","tag-wooden-post","tag-wren","tag-wrens","post_format-post-format-chat"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/red-tailed-hawk-adult-basking-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2040.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-nid","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":73979,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/22\/warbling-vireo-and-fall-colors-in-the-stansbury-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":89541,"position":0},"title":"Warbling Vireo And Fall Colors In The Stansbury Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When this Warbling Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Warbling Vireo and fall colors, Stansbury Mountains, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warbling-vireo-fall-colors-mia-mcpherson-1384.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warbling-vireo-fall-colors-mia-mcpherson-1384.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warbling-vireo-fall-colors-mia-mcpherson-1384.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/warbling-vireo-fall-colors-mia-mcpherson-1384.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109925,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/31\/midwinter-daydreaming\/","url_meta":{"origin":89541,"position":1},"title":"Midwinter Daydreaming","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 31, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I have spent time daydreaming about the birds of spring and summer recently because I have a touch of the midwinter blues. It has been a very gray winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lazuli Bunting on a fence, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lazuli-bunting-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-6158.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lazuli-bunting-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-6158.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lazuli-bunting-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-6158.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lazuli-bunting-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-6158.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":152261,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/15\/warbling-vireo-split-eastern-and-western-warbling-vireos\/","url_meta":{"origin":89541,"position":2},"title":"Warbling Vireo Split – Eastern And Western Warbling-Vireos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Some birders may have added a new life bird yesterday when the AOS split the Warbling Vireo into two species: Eastern and Western Warbling-Vireo.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Summer Western Warbling-Vireo in the Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/warbling-vireo-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/warbling-vireo-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/warbling-vireo-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/warbling-vireo-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-1300.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":105123,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/08\/18\/warbling-vireo-and-ripe-chokecherries\/","url_meta":{"origin":89541,"position":3},"title":"Warbling Vireo And Ripe Chokecherries","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the birds that I photographed in Morgan County two days ago was this lovely Warbling Vireo perched alongside of ripe chokecherries. I was excited to see it.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Warbling Vireo with ripe chokecherries, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/warbling-vireo-chokecherries-mia-mcpherson-5257.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/warbling-vireo-chokecherries-mia-mcpherson-5257.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/warbling-vireo-chokecherries-mia-mcpherson-5257.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/warbling-vireo-chokecherries-mia-mcpherson-5257.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/warbling-vireo-willow-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7612.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/warbling-vireo-willow-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7612.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/warbling-vireo-willow-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7612.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/warbling-vireo-willow-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7612.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59317,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/02\/warbling-vireo-in-willows\/","url_meta":{"origin":89541,"position":5},"title":"Warbling Vireo In Willows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was delighted when I spotted a Warbling Vireo at the top of some nearby willows and that the vireo stayed long enough for me to take a few photos of it.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Warbling Vireo perched in willows, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/warbling-vireo-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-5943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/warbling-vireo-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-5943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/warbling-vireo-in-willow-mia-mcpherson-5943.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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