Tonto National Forest and the Salt River
Tonto National Forest and the Salt River
I have enjoyed our stay in the Tonto National Forest and the Salt River area so much. I’m really glad we decided to stay longer than originally planned. We’ve been out everyday walking the river, looking for birds and wild horses, and Al has been doing some plein air painting as well.
I have a ton of photos, so sit back and enjoy what I have to share today.
Photographing the horses in the river was number one on my want list here. It’s taken some work, but I’ve managed to get some exceptional shots.
Getting these river photos has involved me seeing the horses in the desert, knowing they are trotting to the river, me running a half mile to the river, then hoping I guessed the location right, and they will still be there when I arrive.
Thankfully, they seem to spend a few minutes drinking, and hanging out in the water before they move on.
Evening Reflections. Top of my list for favorite photos I think.
The horses here are a great color. Lots of palomino, whites, and pretty light browns.
It’s fun getting them in the desert too. So different than what I usually photograph horses in.
This mare has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen on a horse.
She has a really cute foal too.
These two bachelor stallions showed up at the river the other day when Al was there painting. We heard them run through the river, then saw them on the other side. They came close to the river eventually, and rolled in the dust and mud.
And there have been birds. Oddly, we only saw one Harrris Hawk. Handsome guy for sure.
Common gackle, but I love the colors.
And egrets. They are great because they aren’t as flighty as the herons. We’ve sat on the shore and just watched them.
I had a friend visit from Canada this week. She has never been to the desert before, and I was excited to show her the sights. We went on a hike in Usery park one day, and on another day we walked the river. We saw egrets, herons, bald eagles, and a couple of horses. She was pretty thrilled.
We leave today, and it’s been an amazing 2 weeks.
I have added some new photos to the Mary Hone Photography website, so be sure to check that out.
Gorgeous photos – I can’t pick a favorite! The desert always offers a unique and surprising beauty which makes it a special place to visit. Glad you enjoyed your stay.
MARY! I WANT every horse here. Don’t they look so well-groomed for being out in the wild?It looks as if they have their own personal coiffeur to take care of those gorgeous manes and coats.
Wishing you another prosperous and happy 2019!!!!
“Pretty thrilled” is an understatement. So is “Can’t wait to come back.” ❤️
Tremendous photos with wild horses and their reflections. Wow!!!! You found heaven on earth.
Wow! I’m glad you shared a little about the effort it took to get your photos. That adds to the beauty of the photos for me. Those reflections! Oh my!
I would never expect to see such a wide variety of wildlife in the desert. It is simply amazing, and thank you so much for sharing!