upland game bird – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Birds On The Wing At Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-28T06:08:49-05:00February 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: dabbling ducks, drakes, ducks, flight, hen, ibis, ibises, marsh, Northern Shoveler, on the wing, Phasianus colchicus, pheasant, pheasants, Plegadis chihi, Ring-necked Pheasant, shoveler, shovelers, Spatula clypeata, upland game bird, White-faced Ibis, winter|

Even though my primary focus was on photographing Bald Eagles I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to take photos of the other birds I saw on the wing at Farmington Bay that morning.

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Male California Quail Close Up – Seeing And Appreciating The Fine Feather Details

By Mia McPherson|2021-10-31T04:07:55-05:00December 18th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Quails, Davis County, Utah|Tags: California Quail, Callipepla californica, close up, male, portrait, quail, upland game bird, winter|

Four days ago I was able to take close up photos of a handsome male California Quail in beautiful light while he perched on a fence rail as he looked directly towards me.

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Roosting Male California Quail Yawning

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-02T14:05:41-05:00December 14th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Quails, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: California Quail, Callipepla californica, male, quail, quails, tree, upland game bird, yawning|

One male California Quail turned his head and through my viewfinder I could see him yawning and this was the only photo I got of him where I could see his entire face and eyes at a good angle.

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Immature Female Northern Harrier Harassing A Ring-necked Pheasant Hen

By Mia McPherson|2024-04-06T09:33:25-05:00October 15th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah|Tags: Circus hudsonius, dive bombing, female, flight, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, hen, hovering, immature, marsh, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, Phasianus colchicus, pheasant, pheasants, Ring-necked Pheasant, upland game bird, young|

A few weeks ago I observed and photographed an immature female Northern Harrier repeatedly harassing a Ring-necked Pheasant hen out on the marshes at Farmington Bay.

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Calling Chukar in Snow on Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|2021-02-11T09:59:22-06:00December 30th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Alectoris chukar, calling, Chukar, chukars, island, rock, snow, snow-covered, upland game bird, upland game birds, winter|

I always feel fortunate when I am able to photograph Chukars in the snow on the island because it helps to make them more visible than they are during other seasons of the year

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Wild Turkey hen in the Dixie National Forest

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-13T07:46:34-05:00June 2nd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Dixie National Forest, Utah, Wayne County, Wild Turkeys|Tags: female, hen, Meleagris gallopavo, mountain pond, turkey, upland game bird, upland game birds, Wild Turkey|

Just a quick post this morning from Wayne County, Utah of a Wild Turkey hen I saw feeding near a small pond on the way up to Boulder Top yesterday.

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Two Second Skirmish on a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-16T05:22:22-05:00April 10th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, bitter, breeding behavior, Centrocercus urophasianus, cold, courtship display, dance, displaying, eons, fight, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, lek, sage-grouse, skirmish, spring, timeless, upland game bird, upland game birds|

The two second Greater Sage-Grouse skirmish was over but only for a few seconds before these two males started back up again.

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Mesmerizing Mating Displays at a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-15T18:28:36-05:00March 30th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, breeding grounds, Centrocercus urophasianus, Greater Sage-Grouse, lek, mating display, mesmerizing, sage-grouse, sagebrush steppe, upland game bird, upland game birds|

I will share more Greater Sage-Grouse images from this lek soon but as usual I came home from this trip exhausted and it will take me a few days to get through all the images I took.

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Greater Sage-Grouse and White-tailed Prairie Dogs

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-13T09:52:21-06:00March 28th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County, White-tailed Prairie Dogs|Tags: adult, Centrocercus urophasianus, Cynomys leucurus, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, prairie dog, prairie dogs, sage-grouse, sagebrush steppe, upland game bird, White-tailed Prairie Dog|

Greater Sage-Grouse and White-tailed Prairie Dogs

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Chukar Portrait

By Mia McPherson|2016-12-07T12:08:09-06:00March 16th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: Alectoris chukar, Chukar, chukars, close up, portrait, upland game bird|

While photographing Black-billed Magpies last week I noticed a pair of Chukars up close and decided to take portraits of the closest bird.

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Chukar, Lichen and a Tintic Quartzite Boulder

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-12T03:28:50-05:00February 16th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: Alectoris chukar, Chukar, introduced species, Lecanora sp, lichen, Tintic Quartzite, upland game bird|

Yesterday was a nice day to be out photographing on Antelope Island State Park, the sun was shining, the wind was minimal and there were a few birds to be found.

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Summer Memories of Greater Sage-Grouse

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-26T08:54:30-05:00December 18th, 2014|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Greater Sage-Grouse, Montana|Tags: adult, Centrocercus urophasianus, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, habitat, sage, sage-grouse, upland game bird|

I was going back through some of the images I took this past summer and came across this photo of a Greater Sage-Grouse I photographed in July.

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Chukars – How light can make the mood

By Mia McPherson|2021-02-11T11:48:07-06:00February 10th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Utah|Tags: adult, Alectoris chukar, bird photography, birds, Chukar, Davis County, low light, nature, nature photography, snow, upland game bird, wildlife, wildlife photography, winter|

When I look at these two snowy Chukar images I sense a moodiness in the first image that the second one doesn't seem to convey.

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Chukars of Antelope Island – Throughout the Year

By Mia McPherson|2021-02-11T09:47:30-06:00July 5th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Alectoris chukar, Black Mustard, calling, chicks, Chukar, chukars, covey, creche, feeding, flock, foraging, Great Salt Lake, introduced, juveniles, oolitic sand, running, upland game bird|

Photographs of the Chukars on Antelope Island State Park, Utah throughout the year.

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