My Lifer Banded Gila Monster The tongue was flicking as it slowly moved across the surface of the rock Washington County, Utah
My Lifer Gila Monster The tongue was flicking as it slowly moved across the surface of the rock Washington County, Utah
Down goes the gila in terms of checking it off the reptiles-to-see list as well as down into a private hideaway nearly as quickly as we discovered it on the crawl in Washington County, Utah.
I had wanted to see a Banded Gila Monster for several years prior to my first encounter. I had studied the habitat, behavioral patterns, and even gone to prime habitat during the prime season with friends who are excellent field herpers, but the target remained unobserved until I went on a camping trip with my sons and a grandson a few years ago. We spent some time hiking in the red rock country, mixing a little herping with birding, picking fun places to eat meals and thick shakes, picnicking in the desert, and swimming in some local bodies of water to escape the heat of the day. Sleeping under the stars on the Beaver Dam Slope enabled us to take in beautiful astronomical sights before we closed our eyes and drifted into sleep each night.
Our encounter with the Banded Gila Monster happened one calm morning while we were hiking through an area of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. We had split up with hopes of increasing our odd for encountering a gila, so we were a little separated from one another when I rounded a large boulder and spotted the Loch Ness Monster of Utah lizards. It was on a slow crawl just as seen in the initial images of this post. I yelled to the rest of our little group and was able to get everyone a chance to see the lizard right before and just after it made its way down a crevice and under a large boulder.
A few interesting facts about Gila Monsters:
Designated the official state reptile of Utah in 2019
Protected by law, illegal to handle or collect them
Occurs in Southern Washington County, in terms of its Utah range, in desert scrub with rocky terrain
As the largest lizard species in the United States, it reaches up to about 20 inches long with black, orange or yellow/orange-beaded skin
Primarily lives underground but typically surfaces in April and May within Utah
The only venomous lizard in the United States, but they won't bite humans unless threatened and/or harassed
As opportunistic and binge predators which spend 90% of their lives below the surface, they will consume up to 40% of their body weight in a single meal during their feeding periods five to ten times a year to store fat in their tails. Their slow metabolism enables them to go months without eating in harsh desert conditions.
I was beginning a new work week in my Salt Lake County office this past Monday when I looked out the window and was struck with the majesty of the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains under clear blue skies. Temperatures were expected to reach into the 70s for the first time of the new year. We'd been through a winter of heavy snowfall and it was finally looking AND feeling like spring. I checked my calendar for Tuesday and made a swift decision to take Tuesday off so I could spend some much-needed time in the outdoors. I sent a text to my friend Eric to see if he wanted to join me. He had no hesitation on his part since he already had the day off. We made plans to visit a number of places, but I was particularly hopeful that we'd locate a Northern Pygmy Owl and confirm that reptiles were beginning to emerge from their winter retreats in our nearby desert. I admit that seems like an odd pairing of objectives, but that's what I wanted to do.
We spent the early hours before dawn attempting to locate a Long-eared Owl, which we did. We were able to hear one calling from the dark at Warm Springs WMA near Goshen, Utah. We also found a pair of Great Horned Owls and listened to them hoot back and forth to each other. As I was recording their courting calls the male flew over to the branch where the female was perched. They quickly copulated and then the male flew to another tree. It seemed late for Great Horned Owl copulation since they begin breeding in January and February here in Utah, but perhaps they had a failed clutch and were trying for a repeat clutch. Who really knows? In the same general area we heard a male Short-eared owl hooting from the tall grass of a nearby field.
Encountering three owl species in a matter of hours was fantastic, but we still needed to locate a Northern Pygmy Owl. We made a drive through Chimney Rock Pass and then up to Fairfield and over to Ophir Canyon. I love the wide-ranging public lands we can wonder here in Utah and other western states. We saw a Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, and small groups of Pronghorns along the way.
We eventually made our way to Ophir Canyon in Tooele (too-willa) County where we would begin our earnest search of a Pygmy Owl. Pinyon Jays were flying from Juniper to Juniper and giving their laughing calls as we entered the canyon. Scrub Jays and Juniper Titmice were also present in the lower section of the canyon. We stopped in one location part way up the canyon and began to scour the trees. I noticed the silhouette of a small bird that popped up from the ground and then perched on the backside of some trees downhill from the road we were on. With my binoculars I was able to confirm that it was a Pygmy Owl so we sat in the truck and waited a while to see what it would do. It was in hunting mode-twitching its tail, bobbing its head, and staring intently at times toward the ground beneath its perch. We eventually ended up watching the tiny bird hunt from a very close vantage point.
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
The owl pictured above was most likely a male. It seemed a bit small, but size is hard to tell without a relative comparison.
After spending a little time with the Pygmy Owl we made our way up the canyon where we discovered a Clark's Nutcracker and Steller's Jays. We turned around and headed back down the canyon and just as we drove past the previous Pygmy Owl location a larger female flew up to and landed on the tree right next to the road. We were able to see both birds at the same time and compare the relative sizes so we believe the bird pictured below is the female of a breeding pair.
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
Northern Pygmy Owls are diurnal birds, most active from dawn to dusk, and just over six inches long from head to tip of tail. They generally perch hunt, meaning they perch, wait, and then seize prey that passes beneath or near their perch. They generally prey on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and even birds. When prey is seen they dive down and sink their sharp, powerful talons into the throat of the prey. If they take a bird they will pluck the feathers before consuming the insides of the skull and chest cavity. You can see the sharp and relatively strong talons and hooked bill in most of the images I'm sharing. These birds seem rather cute unless you are on the wrong end of the food chain from them. From that perspective they are deadly beasts.
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
Northern Pygmy Owl Tooele County, Utah, USA
I never really plan on capturing video with my camera so consequently I'm never quite ready when the opportunity presents itself. The male owl was so accommodating while we were watching it so I decided to give video a try. Unfortunately, it is hard to keep the lens steady without the use of a tripod when it is zoomed to 500mm. The first part of the video below was captured while using Eric's shoulder to steady the lens. Other parts were captured as I lay on my back away from the tree in which the owl was perched, rested the lens on my knees, and supported my head on the dried-out tree clump you see in the middle of the gravel area in the image to the right.
The video quality is best when viewed in HD.
On our way home we stopped at a friends house in Fairfield and observed a White-throated Sparrow, a rare bird for Utah. We also encountered a couple more roosting owls in Fairfield and a Golden Eagle that had a rather full crop that made us wonder what it had been eating, most likely one of the many jack rabbits that inhabit the sagebrush habitat surrounding Fairfield. We drove up and over Soldiers Pass at the south end of Lake Mountain and on the west side of Utah Lake. It is one of my local happy places. I have some great memories of camping with my sons and birding with friends at Soldiers Pass. We see coyotes, foxes, jack rabbits, reptiles, and unique summer birds that breed at Soldiers Pass during the spring and summer months. The desert habitat, lake, and distant mountains create beautiful landscapes that change with the seasons.
The View From Soldiers Pass Looking Over Cedar Valley to the West in Utah County, Utah, USA
We didn't spend much time birding Soldiers Pass. My objective there was primarily to check one of my favorite herping (reptile hunting) spots to see if the reptiles were surfacing for the season. I was delighted to see that several Common Side-blotched Lizards had emerged from their winter retreats. It felt good to be out enjoying the spring weather with the critters I had not seen since early fall of last year.
This Common Side-blotched Lizard Recently Emerged From a Winter Retreat at Soldiers Pass
Early Spring in Utah County, Utah, USA
Here is the final scene as Eric and I left Soldiers Pass and headed out to grab a late lunch of Mexican food before making our way home. Being in a desert, next to a lake, while surrounded by snow-capped mountains was refreshing and energizing. I can't wait to see what new discoveries will be made in the months to come.
The View From Soldiers Pass Looking East Across Utah Lake in Utah County, Utah, USA
Male Greater Earless Lizard in Oro Valley, Arizona
My occasional encounters with snakes and lizards while chasing down birds ignited my interest in reptiles, or "scales and tails" as some might call them. Spending time in nature cultivating one interest naturally leads to interest in other forms of life inhabiting and adding variety to our earth. A recent trip to southeast Arizona with my adventurous friend Eric Peterson allowed both of us to enjoy a splendid mix of birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, landscapes, and healthy doses of Mexican food to keep our engines fueled.
The short flight from Salt Lake City to Tucson passed quickly. We picked up our rental car and drove to a Walmart to pick up a temporary cooler, ice, drinks, fruit, and some snack foods. From there we headed south toward our first destination, the Kubo Bed & Breakfast (B&B) in Madera Canyon. Whitehouse Canyon Road just below Madera Canyon is where we were able to locate one of my favorite bird species of the trip, a Varied Bunting. It was nice to get a colorful male for my first-ever sighting of this species.
Male Varied Bunting Santa Cruz County, Arizona
I captured several images of the male Varied Bunting perching on the hillside below us. The image below shows a little more of the coloring on the chest and offers a little more perspective on the relative size of the bird (about 5.5") since it wasn't cropped as much as the image above.
Male Varied Bunting Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Blue Grosbeaks are much more common in southeast Arizona than they are in Utah. We encountered several brightly colored males along Whitehouse Canyon Road.
Male Blue Grosbeak Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Eric spotted a neonate Western Diamondback Rattlesnake basking in the middle of the road as we drove along Whitehouse Canyon Road. Being new to the world it had just a single button for its rattle. It's difficult to see in this image, but it is just beyond the black and white banding of the tail.
Neonate Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Santa Cruz County, Arizona
I captured video of the small snake as it moved away from us and into the grass on the side of the road, all the while keeping a close eye on us. Some ants and insects crawling near the snake give a relative indication of the young snake's size. The quality of the video will be best when viewed at 720p or 1080p HD
Seeing Jack Rabbits in the deserts of the western states is still fun for this Kentucky boy even after living in Utah now for several decades. I captured this image to share the harsh reality of living in the wild. I've hosted a tick or two, for a day or two, as a result of playing in the woods, but this rabbit is hosting a colony of ticks and some of the blood-thirsty beasts look like they should have popped by now.
Tick-infested Black-tailed Jack Rabbit Santa Cruz County, Arizona
We saw over 30 species of birds without much effort as we spent some time around the Kubo B&B and drove up and down the canyon our first afternoon and evening. Magnificent and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Bronzed Cowbirds, Sulpher-bellied Flycatchers, Hepatic Tanagers, Mexican Jays, Bridled Titmice, Painted Redstarts, and Yellow-eyed Junco were a few we do not see in northern Utah.
Here are two sides of a male Broad-billed Hummingbird frequenting the nectar feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge in Madera Canyon.
Male Broad-billed Hummingbird Madera Canyon, Arizona
Male Broad-billed Hummingbird Madera Canyon, Arizona
This Yellow-eyed Junco was going up and down the roadsides near our B&B collecting insects. I figured it was collecting those insects to take them back to a nest to feed young birds. Otherwise it would have consumed the bugs posthaste.
Yellow-eyed Junco Madera Canyon, Arizona
Nocturnal birding did not disappoint us after enjoying a nice dinner in Green Valley. We were able to hear Mexican Whip-poor-will calling at the top of Madera Canyon. We heard, saw, and photographed Whiskered Screech-Owls and then finished our nocturnal birding efforts with the world's smallest owl, the Elf Owl. This tiny owl is between 5 and 6 inches tall. They breed during the spring and summer months in Arizona and then head back to Mexico for the fall and winter.
Elf Owl Madera Canyon, Arizona
After we finished owling we visited with some gentlemen across the road from our B&B who were collecting insects that were drawn from the darkness of the night to bright lights suspended next to draped white sheets. Here's an image from my phone in case my explanation of their setup failed to create an appropriate image in your mind's eye.
As we were talking we caught a glimpse of a Ringtail (aka Ring-tailed Cat) that was climbing over a wood pile next to one of the lodges. It was my first time ever seeing one of those racoon-related mammals because they are elusive nocturnal critters. I was not prepared for the brief encounter so I have only the image in my head to remember that sighting.
After visiting with our temporary neighbors and before going to bed we had one last activity planned for our first day in southeast Arizona. We did some cruising along remote roads to look for snakes that were absorbing heat from the asphalt as the desert air was cooling. We found another Western Diamondback and captured some photos and video of the snake before safely removing it from the road.
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Santa Cruz County, Arizona
The snake didn't want to be removed from the road so it warned us with its rattle. Here's a short video of the snake just before we moved it into a nearby field.
Little did we realize that on our way back to our B&B we'd have one more surprise. It was July. It was the rainy season. And it was high time for America's largest toad to be out looking for love. It's always fun to run across Sonoran Desert Toads during the rainy season since they spend much of the rest of the year hidden below the surface of the desert to avoid the arid heat. We spotted our toad in our headlights as it was hopping down the road. These toads can get up to 8" long and can weigh close to two pounds when full grown. They can secrete toxins from their skin to deter predators.
Sonoran Desert Toad Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Day one was a complete success in terms of the variety and number of encounters we had with critters of the southeast Arizona desert.
Day 2
After a good night's sleep I awoke early and went over to where the gentlemen were attracting bugs the night before to see if birds were taking advantage of the man-made insect buffet. The curiosity paid off. Sulpher-bellied Flycatchers were on the scene making their squeaky baby toy noise between eating bugs and perching in surrounding trees. Acorn Woodpeckers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, nuthatches, juncos, and an assortment of other bird species were feeding and calling from nearby perches. I particularly enjoyed seeing a Hepatic Tanager with its multicolored plumage. I captured an image of the tanager eating one of the bugs.
Hepatic Tanager Madera Canyon, Arizona
Just down the road from our B&B was the Santa Rita Lodge where Magnificent, Broad-billed, and other hummingbird species were taking advantage of nectar feeders. Mexican Jays, Acorn Woodpeckers, and doves were just a few of the species gorging themselves at the seed feeders. I don't have many images of Bronzed Cowbirds so I captured a couple for future reference and to share here. One image shows the ruff (thick neck feathers) just as the bird was relaxing the ruff from a full display of those feathers.
Bronzed Cowbird Madera Canyon, Arizona
Bronzed Cowbird Madera Canyon, Arizona
One of the Brown-headed Cowbirds caught my attention as I watched is at a feeder. The upper bill was overgrown and twisted, but that did not prevent the bird getting sufficient food. It turned out that this was just the first of two Brown-headed Cowbirds with elongated bills that we'd encounter during out trip.
Brown-headed Cowbird Madera Canyon, Arizona
Madera Canyon, Arizona
I stopped to capture the image to the left with my phone as I was driving down Madera Canyon because my boss in Utah thought I was crazy to spend a vacation in the 100+ degree heat in an Arizona desert. I told him we'd be spending a fair amount of time in the mountains where it was cooler, but we wasn't buying it. This probably isn't an image he had in mind when he thought of my Arizona trip.
Our destination for the end of day two was Beatty's Guest Ranch in Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. We planned to stop at The Paton Center for Birds in Patagonia on our way over to Miller Canyon, just outside of Sierra Vista.
As we were driving to Patagonia I was watching for raptors, hoping to pick up a Gray or Zone-tailed Hawk. What a pleasant surprise we had when we spotted an adult Gray Hawk perched on a power line along South River Road, just before we connected with and made our turn onto Highway 82 (Patagonia Highway). We had to drive past the hawk and do a u-turn to get back to it. This put the bird on the driver's side of the vehicle so Eric was able to get a few nice shots. The bird flew before I was able to capture an image, but I did manage a long-distance shot after the bird perched on the stump of a dead tree. The image has been deeply cropped to show a little more detail of the bird's field marks.
Adult Gray Hawk Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Gopher Snake Santa Cruz County, Arizona
We also came across a Gopher Snake that was crossing the road on our way to Patagonia. It put itself in a precarious position after we pulled over to take a look at it. We carefully pulled away without harming the snake and then watched it crawl to a safer place.
Some Black Vultures flew overhead just as we were about to continue our drive to Patagonia. I captured a couple of images for documentation purposes. Someday I'll get a closer shot of one of these vultures.
Black Vulture Santa Cruz County, Arizona
We found our target Violet-crowned Hummingbird rather quickly after arriving at the Paton Center for Birds in Patagonia. The lighting wasn't great, but this image will suffice until a future encounter.
Adult Violet-crowned Hummingbird Santa Cruz County, Arizona
I spent a little time looking for reptiles around the Paton Center. I initially thought the lizard below was a Desert Grassland Whiptail, but upon closer look I'm calling it a Sonoran Spotted Whiptail. I can see light spotting between the stripes on the back of the lizard. Grassland Whiptails shouldn't show those spots between the dorsal stripes. The ranges for both species overlap so attention to detail becomes necessary, especially for a novice "herper" like me. What's unique about Sonoran Spotted Whiptails is that every individual is a female (parthenogenetic). The offspring, from unfertilized eggs, are clones of the mother. Let's hope this doesn't develop among humans or men will become redundant. I prefer to remain a necessary component of the human equation.
Sonoran Spotted Whiptail Santa Cruz County, Arizona
We didn't stay at the Paton Center for long after getting our target hummingbird because we wanted to get over to Miller Canyon, where we would spend the night a Beatty's Guest Ranch. As we made our way to Miller Canyon we spotted a Zone-tailed Hawk. I had been scrutinizing every vulture-like bird I saw flying as Eric was driving us to our destination. I caught a quick glimpse of black and white tail bands on a particular large, dark raptor that was flying over an agricultural field and called out, "Zone-tailed Hawk" so Eric would slow down for a look. We did a u-turn and relocated the hawk and watched it course over fields in search of prey for a few minutes before it disappeared behind a hill.
We arrived at Beatty's Guest Ranch in the early afternoon. We met the owners, paid our fee for the night, and packed our gear up to our quarters. We stayed on the upper floor of the building to the far left of the phone image below.
Beatty's Guest Ranch Miller Canyon, Arizona
Here is a phone image I captured looking down the canyon from inside our lodge.
After dropping off our bags we took a short walk up to a shady hillside where we sat on benches while watching lots of hummingbirds visit a number of well-supplied nectar feeders. This area has controlled access so it can only be enjoyed by those who pay a small fee or stay at the lodge. We saw at least six species of hummingbirds there, but my favorite were Broad-billed and Magnificent.
Male Magnificent Hummingbird Cochise County, Arizona
Yarrow's Spiny Lizards were the lizard species of the hour during our lazy birding session at the nectar feeders.
Female Yarrow's Spiny Lizard Cochise County, Arizona
Male Yarrow's Spiny Lizard Cochise County, Arizona
We enjoyed our only Italian dinner of the trip in Sierra Vista with Eric's friend Jan. They became acquainted years ago as members of the Doberman Pinshcer Club of America.
Always the birders, we did what we could to locate owls, poorwills, and whip-poor-wills as we made a slow drive up the dark canyon to our lodge. It's not much to look at, but below is an image I captured with my phone when a bio luminescent Glowing Click Beetle landed on Eric's shirt. The beetle has two spots from which it controls the intensity of its luminescence. Google that beetle name and you'll be able to see and learn more about the unique beetle. We saw a number of them flying along the road that night.
We heard an Elf Owl and got visuals of several Whiskered Screech-owls along the upper end of the canyon. We'll close out this post as we did that evening with a couple of images of a Whiskered Screech-Owl.
Whiskered Screech-Owl Cochise County, Arizona
Whiskered Screech-Owl Cochise County, Arizona
We finished Day 2 feeling like we'd had another successful day. As is often the case in the canyons of southeast Arizona during the monsoon season a clamorous and productive rain storm blew through during the evening. I rather enjoyed the storm knowing I was safe and dry for the night. I could only imagine what we'd experience during the remaining four days of our trip as I recalled the events of the first two days before drifting off to sleep. More to come in my next few posts.
Utah has three major biomes--deserts, forests, and wetlands. Being able to enjoy the plants, wildlife, and scenery of each biome in a single day makes Utah a unique and wonderful place to live. For the past two Saturday mornings I have been able to leave home before sunlight to go explore some of the desert wildlife of Utah County with my friend Eric Peterson. Eric and I share a love for exploring the outdoors and photography so it's practically guaranteed we'll discover something fascinating to observe, enjoy, photograph, and share with others.
This past Saturday...
We were on our way to search for some Short-eared Owls in what we locally call the West Desert. It was about 6 AM when we noticed the rising sun was working its magic on the clouds behind us so we stopped to take a look.
Sunrise Seen From Cedar Valley in Utah County, UT
We made our way to some desert farmland and quickly found our first Short-eared Owl of the day. He was perched on a stick at the edge of the road. He flew across the field and away from us before we were able to get a close look. We continued along the road where we got much closer looks at a female Short-eared Owl. She was standing on the edge of the road near some tumbleweed.
Short-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
Short-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
We saw a handful of these owls in the fields bordering the road. Some flew across the road a head of us and circled above us.
Short-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
I'm still trying to figure out how to get my new 80-400mm lens to work as well as my previous 300mm prime lens when it comes to birds in flight so I didn't get the quality of image I desired for the flight shots. These two will suffice for now.
Short-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
Short-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
During one of our stops for photographs I decided to capture an image of the habitat through which we were passing. The first one looks north and the second one south. It gives a feel for where the Short-eared Owls were living and hunting. They simply need a place to roost/rest/nest, generally on the ground, and open spaces for hunting. These owls are much more active than other owls during daylight hours, but dusk and dawn are the ideal times to see them in the right locations.
Looking Northward in Short-eared Owl Habitat--Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Looking Southward in Short-eared Owl Habitat--Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
There were Western Meadowlarks, loads of Horned Larks, Northern Harriers, and a family of Loggerhead Shrikes breeding and thriving in this habitat. Some Pronghorns were successfully raising young ones in the area as well. My reading has taught me that Pronghorns are not true Antelope. In fact there are no antelopes native to North America. However, locals refer to them as antelopes. We actually have a state park called Antelope Island in northern Utah. I guess Antelope has a better ring to it than Pronghorn Island State Park.
Pronghorn Family in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
We discovered a number of raptors in the area, especially where we came across some trees or farm equipment and structures. One Prairie Falcon flew by early in the morning, but it was the number of Swainson's Hawks that I enjoyed. I've always wanted to get close looks at light-morph juvenile Swainson's Hawks. We ran across a few of them. One in particular allowed me a close approach and put on a bit of a show as it stretched its tail and left wing. Among Swainson's Hawks, only the young light morphs show the white head. As adults they all have dark heads. This one will eventually develop a dark head and a dark bib over the chest area.
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Light Juvenile Swainson's Hawk in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
After spending a little time watching the Swainson's Hawk we decided to try to focus on the Short-eared Owls again. As we were driving along the road I noticed some wings fluttering above the grass line of a field off to our left. We were curious to know what it was so we got out of the truck and walked toward the area. We expected a bird to take flight as we approached, but it was as if the bird we had briefly glimpsed suddenly disappeared. All we saw was an open field.
Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
We moved forward a little more and before we knew it we were looking down at a Northern Harrier Nest. It was completely unexpected and the first time either of us had happened upon a harrier nest site. There were at least four young birds present. All were sort of tucked inside grass and facing a central spot where the grass was pressed flat from roosting and feeding.
Fledgling Northern Harrier in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
A Long-billed Curlew began calling from behind us. It flew directly over our heads as it continued to call.
Long-billed Curlew over Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
Looking back toward the nest I noticed the remains of what appeared to be a Kangaroo Rat. The blood was fresh so it was a recent kill and mill for the fledglings. Mom and dad were nowhere to be seen when we stumbled upon the nest site.
Remains of Kangaroo Rat at Northern Harrier Nest Site in Cedar Valley, Utah County, UT
We left the nest site after a few images and continued our search for owls and raptors. We were fortunate to locate a total of four owl species for the day. We saw Short-eared, Great Horned, Barn, and a few Long-eared Owls.
We moved to a different location with a few trees and observed some type of moth caterpillar that was suspended in the air by a single thread that hung from a tree. I think you can call this an inchworm, but it was about three inches long. It will likely turn into a large moth. The sun was bright and washing out the subtle colors of the worm with the first few images I tried. I turned down the exposure compensation and it seemed to do the trick. A few of the images turned out okay with that change.
You can barely see the silky thread in the image below. What a colorful little worm/caterpillar with what appears to be some sophisticated anatomical parts. My understanding is, however, that these worms can destroy the foliage of trees in a hurry if not kept in check.
Another highlight from this past weekend was a family of Long-eared Owls. The young ones were curious about us. The adults were a little more guarded.
Juvenile Long-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
Sibling Long-eared Owls Roosting in Utah County, UT
Juvenile Long-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
Secretive Adult Long-eared Owl in Utah County, UT
Two Saturdays Ago...
Eric and I were exploring around the Soldier Pass Road area of the desert west of Utah Lake. One of our target birds was the Gray Vireo. They are very rare for northern Utah, but they are common in this small area of Utah County. It didn't take us long to hear and see several individuals singing from juniper trees.
Gray Vireo in Utah County, UT
Gray Vireo in Utah County, UT
Gray flycatchers were breeding in the area. We came across a male and female in one location after we parked and walked along a hillside.
Gray Flycatcher in Utah County, UT
Gray Flycatcher in Utah County, UT
We encountered a number of bird species expected for the desert that day. We knew that Common Nighthawks were breeding in the area. We saw many of them flying around us. Nighthawks nest on the ground so when we saw an adult bird acting like it couldn't fly and hopping along the ground ahead of us we knew we were near its nest site or young. We didn't see signs of either and simply continued our short wandering through the desert, careful not to step on or disturb anything.
Lizards are common in our desert, but I had never really paid them much attention while birding. I changed that when we came upon some adult Western (Great Basin) Whiptails. I enjoyed a short photo session with a couple of them as they moved between juniper trees. These lizards were about 10-12 inches long from nose to tip of tail.
Western (Great Basin) Whiptail in Utah County, UT
Western (Great Basin) Whiptail in Utah County, UT
Western (Great Basin) Whiptail in Utah County, UT
Western (Great Basin) Whiptail in Utah County, UT
The Utah County desert awaits you. Go and explore it. And be aware that what is amazing about nature can also hurt you. We do have rattlesnakes and some cacti and other plants will poke you so give proper respect and you'll have a great time.
Eric and Jeff After Exploring Utah County's West Desert
