Duststorm - Black-throated Sparrow
20 inches high x 15 inches wide

“Black-throated Sparrows are one of the more handsome sparrows, frequenting the desert areas during the winter and the low foothills around Phoenix during the summer. However, as the drought in the Southwest continues, these birds may face some tough times. The hillsides are already parched this May and are prime for fires that are supposed to happen for the brush to revegetate. But when ground moisture is lacking, invasive plants sometimes take over or nothing grows back. Lack of rain elsewhere causes the desert to dry and the dying summer monsoon storms often raise large duststorms that can rise a mile above the desert floor and extend 20 miles across. It’s a tough life but hearing their ‘tink-tink’ call notes from the hillside or catching a good look atop a sage or cholla makes it a good day in the field.”