male – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

First of Year Osprey Plus A Spring Snowstorm

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-27T07:21:53-05:00March 27th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ospreys, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, first of year, Fish Hawk, male, Osprey, ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, perched, pole, raptor, sky, snowstorm, spring, urban, urban birds, Utah|

I had something wonderful happen yesterday following a spring snowstorm in Salt Lake City. I found my first of year Osprey close to home perched on a pole.

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Scruffy And Tailless Male Yellow Warbler

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-26T03:42:09-05:00March 26th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, canyon, Chokecherry, male, mountains, perched, Prunus virginiana, riparian habitat, scruffy, Setophaga petechia, summer, tail, tail-less, tailless, warbler, warblers, wood-warblers, Yellow Warbler|

While I was searching for other photos of a mammal I had taken, I came across this picture I had taken of a scruffy male Yellow Warbler without a tail to share.

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Broad-tailed Hummingbird Daydreams

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-25T05:41:45-05:00March 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, branch, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, canyon, Chokecherry, daydreams, forest edge, hummingbird, hummingbirds, male, mountains, Prunus virginiana, Selasphorus platycercus, summer, Western Chokecherry|

I've been having Broad-tailed Hummingbird daydreams lately. I can't wait to hear their tiny wing beats and chirps once again high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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American Wigeon On The Last Day Of Winter

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-23T03:14:14-05:00March 23rd, 2023|Categories: American Wigeons, Birds, Salt Lake Valley, Utah|Tags: adult, American Wigeon, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mareca americana, morning light, pareidolia, park, pond, urban, water, waterfowl, wigeon, wigeons, winter|

I photographed an American Wigeon drake on the last day of winter at my local pond. The light was nice and lovely but my view of the wigeon was even nicer.

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Urban Bird: Male Great-tailed Grackle

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-19T05:54:22-05:00March 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Great-tailed Grackles|Tags: adult, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, male, pavilion, peanuts, Quiscalus mexicanus, stroll, urban, walking, winter|

While I was walking around my local pond three days ago I enjoyed having a male Great-tailed Grackle in my viewfinder for a bit. He was strolling along nearby.

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American Wigeon Portraits – I See Spats

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-18T03:00:55-05:00March 18th, 2023|Categories: American Wigeons, Birds, Humor, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Wigeon, close up, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, hen, male, Mareca americana, park, pond, portrait, spat, spats, urban, wigeon, wigeons, winter|

This morning, I am sharing two American Wigeon portraits. I felt fortunate to take them recently at one of my local urban ponds on a frosty, cold morning.

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Male Brewer’s Blackbird Portraits

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-17T03:01:12-05:00March 17th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, blackbird, blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbird, close up, displaying, Euphagus cyanocephalus, frost, frosty, funny, grasses, head on, humor, male, portrait, urban, winter|

I took these two male Brewer's Blackbird portraits yesterday at my local pond. In one the blackbird was displaying, in the other he just looked funny to me.

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Mating Greater Sage-Grouse On A Wild Windswept Lek

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-16T05:36:47-05:00March 16th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, Aquarius Plateau, Centrocercus urophasianus, courtship display, female, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, lek, male, morning light, plateau, sage-grouse, sagebrush sea, spring, upland game birds, Utah, Wayne County|

During the breeding season, male Greater Sage-Grouse gather in communal display areas known as leks to perform an elaborate courtship ritual.

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Urban Drake American Wigeon In Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-11T03:40:39-06:00March 10th, 2023|Categories: American Wigeons, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Wigeon, bill, breeding plumage, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mareca americana, park, pond, resting, snow, urban, wigeon, wigeons, winter|

The sun came out for a bit yesterday so I went down to my local urban ponds. I was tickled to find and photograph a drake American Wigeon resting in the snow.

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Tracking Tundra Swan U915: A Story of Survival

By Mia McPherson|2023-11-10T02:44:56-06:00March 5th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, banded, collared, Cygnus columbianus, flock, grasses, ice, inset, male, marsh, mountains, Promontory Mountains, sky, snow, snow covered, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, U915, USGS, water, waterfowl, wetlands, Whistling Swan, winter|

Three days ago I found a collared Tundra Swan in a flock of swans at Bear River MBR. The blue collar caught my eye and I took photos of the swan.

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Singing Red-winged Blackbird Male

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-04T04:07:05-06:00March 4th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Box Elder County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, Bear River, blackbird, blackbirds, male, perched, Red-winged Blackbird, river, riverbank, singing, wetlands, winter|

After my long and photo heavy Tundra Swan post yesterday I am keeping my post today simple. I'm sharing a single photo of a singing Red-winged Blackbird male.

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Male Red-winged Blackbird Foraging In Grasses

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-03T19:22:28-06:00February 23rd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, foraging, grass, grasses, ground, male, marsh, Red-winged Blackbird, wetlands, winter|

After a very busy day yesterday, I decided to share a simple photo this morning of a male Red-winged Blackbird foraging in grasses at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Coming Soon: Great-tailed Grackle Breeding Season

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-21T03:48:56-06:00February 21st, 2023|Categories: Birds, Great-tailed Grackles, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, bath, blackbirds, breeding display, close up, display, displaying, duo, feather, female, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, Head-Up, intensely, looking, male, park, portrait, preening-tail, Quiscalus mexicanus, Ruff-Out, solo, spring, urban, winter|

On two of my most recent walks I have seen Great-tailed Grackles. Seeing them reminded me that Great-tailed Grackle breeding season is coming soon.

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Dapper Drake Common Merganser At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-18T03:31:36-06:00February 17th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Mergansers, Utah|Tags: adult, bathing, breeding plumage, Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, ice, male, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, water, wetlands, winter|

Today I am sharing photos of a dapper drake Common Merganser in his finest breeding plumage that I took four mornings ago at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Great Goldeneye-Merganser Showdown: Who Won the Shad?

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-15T03:03:56-06:00February 15th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: Ardea herodias, bill, Bucephala clangula, chasing, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, feet, female, fish, following, Great Blue Heron, hen, ice, legs, male, marsh, Mergus merganser, prey, running, shad, sliding, slipping, thin, wading birds, winter|

On my last trip to Bear River MBR I saw and photographed a Goldeneye-Merganser showdown where the prize that was being fought over was a shiny shad.

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Calling Mallard Drake In The City

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-09T05:01:47-06:00February 9th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, bill, calling, city, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mallard, mallards, open, pond, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

I enjoy photographing even the most abundant ducks at my local city ponds. I simply couldn't resist taking images of this calling Mallard drake two days ago.

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Driftwood Guardian: Rough-legged Hawk

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-06T05:01:35-06:00February 6th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, driftwood, frosty, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, male, perched, ranchlands, raptors, river, Rough-legged Hawk, snag, snow, wetlands, winter|

I stopped to take photos of an adult male Rough-legged Hawk perched on a driftwood snag over the Bear River when I was leaving Bear River MBR four days ago.

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A Shadow Will Be Seen

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-02T04:24:56-06:00February 2nd, 2023|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, desert, foothills, ground squirrels, Groundhog Day, lichens, male, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, Promontory Mountains, rocks, winter, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

This morning a shadow will be seen by any Yellow-bellied Marmots that venture above the snow-covered, frozen ground in northern Utah.

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Midwinter Daydreaming

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-31T05:08:16-06:00January 31st, 2023|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: barbed wire, bunting, canyon, daydreaming, fence, immature, Lazuli Bunting, male, mountains, Passerina amoena, perched, summer, young|

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.

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1st Winter Common Goldeneye Drake With A Crawdad

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-22T16:36:28-06:00January 22nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: 1st winter, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, crawdad, crayfish, diving ducks, drake, duck, first winter, goldeneye, goldeneyes, male, ponf, urban, water, winter|

Just a quick post this morning of a photo of a 1st winter Common Goldeneye drake with a crawdad in his bill at my neighborhood pond taken last year.

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Urban Drake Common Merganser Photos

By Mia McPherson|2024-01-15T04:08:01-06:00January 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: breeding plumage, Common Merganser, dive, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, neighborhood, pond, Salt Lake County, urban, Utah, water, waterfowl, winter|

I can be way too picky when it comes to sharing my images. Today I'll explain why with these urban drake Common Merganser photos taken at my local pond.

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Simply A Duck On A Rock

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-19T03:41:55-06:00January 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, grasses, male, Mallard, mallards, pond, rock, snow, urban, winter|

I headed down to my neighborhood ponds yesterday morning while there was some sunshine and my favorite image of the day was simply a duck on a rock.

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Ruddy Duck Drake Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|2024-01-19T05:36:56-06:00January 17th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Oxyura jamaicensis, pond, Ruddy Duck, transitioning, urban, water, winter|

The last time I was at my neighborhood pond I spotted a Ruddy Duck drake out in the middle of the water who was starting to transition into breeding plumage.

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Male Red-winged Blackbird In January

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-15T05:40:36-06:00January 15th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, branch, close up, displaying, male, marsh, perched, Red-winged Blackbird, sky, up close, wetlands, winter|

While I was at Farmington Bay WMA three days ago I stopped to photograph a male Red-winged Blackbird that I spotted on an old dead branch.

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Rough-legged Hawk Staredown

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-11T04:34:48-06:00January 11th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, close up, cold, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, light morph, male, marsh, mountains, perched, portrait, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sign, sky, snow, staredown, wetlands, winter|

One year ago this morning I was on the road to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge where my best subject of the day was a male light morph Rough-legged Hawk.

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Sawgrass Lake Park Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-09T04:18:39-06:00January 9th, 2023|Categories: Anhingas, Birds, Florida, Pinellas County, Sawgrass Lake Park|Tags: adult, anhinga, Anhinga anhinga, anhingas, branches, golden light, grasses, hills, lake, leaves, male, misty, morning, nesting material, Spanish Moss, summer, Tillandsia usneoides, tree, trees, water, wetlands|

This morning I am traveling back in time via my archives to revisit Sawgrass Lake Park in Pinellas County, Florida.

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Dapper Mallard Drake In Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-08T02:44:49-05:00January 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, dapper, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mallard, mallards, snow, snowy, urban, waterfowl, winter|

After I photographed the handsome Gadwall drake that I shared yesterday I couldn't resist taking images of this alert and dapper Mallard drake in the snow.

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Gadwall Drake Resting In Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-12T04:18:55-05:00January 4th, 2023|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, foraging, Fulica americana, Gadwall, gadwalls, leucism, leucistic, male, Mareca strepera, plumage aberration, pond, resting, snow, tree, trunk, urban, water, winter|

This morning I'm sharing photos of a Gadwall drake resting in snow plus a bonus photo of the leucistic American Coot taken yesterday in afternoon light.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|2023-11-10T04:24:07-06:00December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, American Kestrel, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, background, berries, Bewick's Swan, bill, birds of prey, Black-billed Magpie, blooming, blooms, blossoms, Bonasa umbellus, boulder, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Bubo virginianus, building, canyon, close up, corvids, Cygnus columbianus, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Davis County, desert, dirt, eagle, eagles, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fall, farmlands, female, fledgling, flight, flock, flowering, flowering shrub, flying, forest edge, fruiting shrub, fruits, fruting shrubs, Golden Eagle, gorget, Great Horned Owl, grebe, grebes, grouse, gull, gulls, Horned Grebe, hummingbird, hummingbirds, immature, juvenile, kestrel, kestrels, Larus delawarensis, lichen, lores, magpie, magpies, male, marsh, mountains, nest, nest box, nesting, nonbreeding plumage, owl, owls, perched, Pica hudsonia, Podiceps auritus, raptors, rare, reflection, Ring-billed Gull, riparian habitat, road, roadside, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Ruffed Grouse, Salpinctes obsoletus, Selasphorus platycercus, serviceberries, serviceberry, Setophaga petechia, shrub, spring, stink-eye, summer, swan, swans, thicket, tree, Tundra Swans, Utah, Utah Serviceberry, vagrant, warbler, warblers, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, wetlands, willow, willow thicket, willows, winter, winter plumage, wood-warbler, wood-warblers, wren, wrens, Yellow Warbler, young|

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

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Christmas Day American Kestrel

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-25T05:45:40-06:00December 25th, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, afternoon, American Kestrel, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, clouds, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Falcons of Utah, haze, hazy, male, marsh, mountains, peaks, perched, sky, snow, Wasatch Mountain Range, Wasatch Mountains, wetlands, winter, winter inversion, wooden post|

I photographed this Christmas Day American Kestrel in 2020 at Farmington Bay WMA. That Christmas Day was bright and sunny, today isn't going to be at all.

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