{"id":97409,"date":"2021-11-16T06:10:13","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T13:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=97409"},"modified":"2024-10-23T04:54:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T09:54:51","slug":"loggerhead-shrike-on-a-wild-rose-in-front-of-the-dying-great-salt-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/16\/loggerhead-shrike-on-a-wild-rose-in-front-of-the-dying-great-salt-lake\/","title":{"rendered":"Loggerhead Shrike On A Wild Rose In Front of The Dying Great Salt Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a thorny issue…<\/h2>\n

When I found and photographed this adult Loggerhead Shrike two days ago I was happy with the pose, the light, and the simplicity of the background. The autumn colored leaves and red rose hips contrasted nicely with the blacks, whites, and grays of the plumage of the shrike and I liked the simplicity of the images I took.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Loggerhead Shrike perched on a wild rose bush \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t see these shrikes as often as I used to so whenever I find them I am thrilled to have them in my viewfinder. Loggerhead Shrikes aren’t flashy birds but they are powerful little wanna be raptors that have earned my respect over the years.<\/p>\n

Later when I returned home and looked at the photos I took of this Loggerhead Shrike I kept looking at the background of the images. The background is the out of focus playa of the Great Salt Lake. The extremely dry mud flats of the dying Great Salt Lake.<\/p>\n

Had I taken these Loggerhead Shrike photos four to five years ago the background wouldn’t have been dry lake bed. It would have shown water. Precious, life-giving water. The shoreline has receded and now it is probably a half mile or more away from where it would have been and each year it moves farther away.<\/p>\n

\"LoggerheadLoggerhead Shrike perched in front of the dry playa of the Great Salt Lake \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I appreciate the photos I took of this handsome Loggerhead Shrike even more now than I used to because I believe they are already being affected by climate change here in northern Utah. Where I used to see a dozen or more of these shrikes I consider myself lucky to see one now and frankly that is terribly sad.<\/p>\n

Sadder yet is watching the Great Salt Lake disappear before my eyes because it provides critical habitat in and around its shores for many hundreds of thousands of birds throughout the year, it brings money into the state from tourism, plus this inland sea helps put lake effect snow on the mountains for winter sports and more importantly, the water we need to sustain life in along the Wasatch front.<\/p>\n

We could save this lake but that would mean that our government leaders in Utah would have to pull their heads out of their collective butts and I don’t believe they will do that. Not as long as they put business and industry before the citizens they were elected to represent. Not as long as they put party before people or their personal financial portfolios before the health of Utahns.<\/p>\n

Without the lake and without a healthy environment future generations of Utahns will have to face the catastrophic consequences of their inaction. Climate change and water issues are already affecting us. The Great Salt Lake is in danger of becoming a toxic dustbin<\/span><\/a> and that… that is a thorny issue.<\/p>\n

There is always a story behind my photos. This morning the story is that I wonder if I will ever be able to look at these Loggerhead Shrike images without thinking about the dying lake.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

Had I taken these Loggerhead Shrike photos four to five years ago the background wouldn’t have been dry lake bed. It would have shown water. Precious, life-giving water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":135908,"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":[27,1148,247,26],"tags":[4004,970,3462,7552,4098,12567,9534,4620,4005,4171,4066,2339,4104,6973,11710,6825,4891,3906,3907,12568,12040,4507,12566],"class_list":["post-97409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-loggerhead-shrikes","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-crisis","tag-desert","tag-dry-lake-bed","tag-dying","tag-fall","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-lanius-ludovicianus","tag-loggerhead-shrike","tag-mud-flats","tag-perched","tag-playa","tag-rosa-woodsii","tag-rose","tag-shore","tag-shrike","tag-shrikes","tag-water-consumption","tag-water-levels","tag-wild-rose","tag-woods-rose"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-wild-rose-bush-mia-mcpherson-4430.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-pl7","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101743,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/23\/loggerhead-shrike-population-decline-concerns\/","url_meta":{"origin":97409,"position":0},"title":"Loggerhead Shrike Population Decline Concerns","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"About two weeks ago I found an adult Loggerhead Shrike perched on a lichen covered rock in northern Utah a good distance from the road that I was on.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Loggerhead Shrike perched on a lichen covered rock, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/loggerhead-shrike-adult-lichen-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6340.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-winter-mia-mcpherson-9820.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5303,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/07\/07\/a-cooperative-loggerhead-shrike-juvenile\/","url_meta":{"origin":97409,"position":2},"title":"Cooperative Loggerhead Shrike Juvenile","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"From all appearances it has been a great nesting season for the Loggerhead Shrikes on Antelope Island State Park, it seems everywhere I look there are numerous juvenile Shrikes perched on bushes near rather harried looking adults.","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":"Juvenile Loggerhead Shrike perched on Greasewood, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2743.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2743.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2743.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-2743.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15006,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/20\/loggerhead-shrikes-and-a-few-things-that-bug-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":97409,"position":3},"title":"Loggerhead Shrikes And A Few Things That Bug Them","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning while Antelope Island there was a Loggerhead Shrike perched on a dead branch that was near the north shoreline of the Great Salt Lake.","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":"One adult Loggerhead Shrike bringing in prey to another, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrikes-prey-mia-mcpherson-7091.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrikes-prey-mia-mcpherson-7091.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrikes-prey-mia-mcpherson-7091.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrikes-prey-mia-mcpherson-7091.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36483,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/29\/loggerhead-shrikes-different-backgrounds-and-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":97409,"position":4},"title":"Loggerhead Shrikes – Different Backgrounds and Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Both of these Loggerhead Shrikes were photographed on Antelope Island State Park, both of them are adults, both were photographed when the sky was clear and both were perched on a dead twig of a greasewood but they were also photographed with different backgrounds, different times of the morning and\u2026","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 Loggerhead Shrike and clear sky, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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seeing Loggerhead Shrikes all year round here in northern Utah but they have been MIA for quite some time.","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 Loggerhead Shrike, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-fluffed-mia-mcpherson-9917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-fluffed-mia-mcpherson-9917.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/loggerhead-shrike-fluffed-mia-mcpherson-9917.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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