Year: 2021 - Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

High Key Gray Partridge

By Mia McPherson|February 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Gray Partridges, Utah|Tags: adult, details, front, Gray Partridge, hen, high key, low light, partridge, partridges, Perdix perdix, snow, snowy, upland terrestrial birds, whiteout conditions, winter|

Snow continues to pass by where I live in northern Utah this winter so I thought I'd bring some snow to my site with a high key Gray Partridge photo.

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Winter Female American Kestrel Photos

By Mia McPherson|February 3rd, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, Antelope Island State Park, back view, Davis County, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Falcons of Utah, female, flight, flying, kestrel, kestrels, lift off, lifting off, perched, raptors, resting, rock, rocks, stalk, Utah, winter|

Yesterday morning I was able to take female American Kestrel photos from the causeway to Antelope Island State Park twice.

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World Wetlands Day 2021

By Mia McPherson|February 2nd, 2021|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Coots, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Black-crowned Night Herons, Blue-winged Teals, Brewer's Blackbirds, Centennial Valley, Checkered White Butterflies, Cinnamon Teals, Common Mergansers, Conservation, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Environment, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Greater Scaups, Green-winged Teals, Halloween Pennants, Hooded Mergansers, Least Sandpipers, Lesser Scaups, Long-tailed Weasels, Marsh Wrens, Montana, Moose, Muskrats, Northern Harriers, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Reddish Egrets, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Rusty Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Scarlet Skimmers, Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpipers, Tricolored Herons, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah, Variegated Meadowhawk, White-faced Ibises, Wildflowers, Wilson's Phalaropes, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: birds, critical, insects, plants, protection, water, wetlands, wildlife, World Wetlands Day|

February 2nd is World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the critical role of wetlands for people, wildlife and our planet.

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Male Red-winged Blackbirds Are Singing

By Mia McPherson|February 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, changing seasons, displaying, drought, male, marsh, mating season, Red-winged Blackbird, seaons, snow, spring, winter|

I drove to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning where I heard male Red-winged Blackbirds singing in the marsh.

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Winter Great Blue Heron In Flight

By Mia McPherson|January 31st, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, mountains, phragmites, phrags, sky, snow, wading birds, wetlands, winter|

I'm keeping it simple today and sharing a single photo of a winter Great Blue Heron in flight over the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Adult Tundra Swan On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|January 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, clouds, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, marsh, on the wing, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

I've been thinking that I need to hop into my Jeep and head to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to photograph the Tundra Swans before they head north to breed and nest.

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Winter Adult American Herring Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|January 29th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, American Herring Gull, Definitive Basic, gull, gulls, ice, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, walking, water, wetlands, winter|

Today I am sharing two winter adult Herring Gull photos that I took earlier this month from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Rufous Red-tailed Hawk Female Memories

By Mia McPherson|January 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Box Elder County, buteo, Buteo jamaicensis, cliff, cliff face, desert, female, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, resting, rufous, shrub, stretch, stretching, Utah|

This morning I wanted to share a few photos of a stunning rufous Red-tailed Hawk female that I photographed over a period of a couple of years.

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Winter Ruddy Duck Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|January 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: blue bill, diving, diving ducks, duck, ducks, first winter, hint, immature/female, male, Oxyura jamaicensis, pond, Ruddy Duck, water, waterfowl, winter|

Two days ago I photographed a Ruddy Duck close to home at my local pond. I was only able to take 14 image of it before it dove under the water and swam away.

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Leucistic Canada Goose

By Mia McPherson|January 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, Canada Goose, geese, goose, head, leucism, leucistic, odd plumage, partial leucism, Partially leucistic, plumage variation, pond, water, waterfowl, white head, white-headed, winter|

I didn't see any American Robins feeding on crabapples yesterday but I did find a leucistic Canada Goose at my local pond.

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Winter American Robins

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2021|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, crabapple, crabapples, perched, robin, robins, snow, standing, thrush, thrushes, treem branches, Turdus migratorius, winter|

There is a skiff of snow on the ground again this morning and it has reminded me that I should look for winter American Robins feeding on crabapples today.

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Male American Kestrel Chest Plumage Variation

By Mia McPherson|January 24th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: American Kestrel, antennae, barb wire, branch, branches, chest, desert, Facebook, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fence, kestrel, kestrels, marsh, metal pole, perched, plumage variation, post, prey, resting, rock, sky, spots, tail, tree, underparts, Utah, vole, winter, wooden post|

Two recent posts on Facebook inspired me to write about male American Kestrel chest plumage variation and to share six images of male kestrels photographed here in Utah.

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Third Winter Herring Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|January 23rd, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: American Herring Gull, calling, gull, gulls, ice, immature, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, preening, third cycle, third winter, winter|

Earlier this month I was able to take third winter Herring Gull photos at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the ice from the auto tour route.

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Canada Goose Portrait

By Mia McPherson|January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, close up, geese, goose, pond, portrait, relaxed, resting, waterfowl, winter|

Today I wanted to share this simple Canada Goose portrait. I took this portrait three years ago today at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.

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National Squirrel Appreciation Day

By Mia McPherson|January 21st, 2021|Categories: American Red Squirrels, Eastern Gray Squirrels, Florida, Glacier County, Juab County, Montana, Morgan County, Pinellas County, Richardson's Ground Squirrels, Rock Squirrels, Sawgrass Lake Park, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Virginia, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert, White-tailed Antelope Squirrels|Tags: American Red Squirrel, Eastern Gray Squirrel, flying squirrels, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, National Squirrel Appreciation Day, Richardson's Ground Squirrels, Rock Squirrel, squirrel, squirrels, Uinta Ground Squirrel, White-tailed Antelope Squirrel|

January 21st is National Squirrel Appreciation Day and it recognizes these creatures that some people consider pests while others find them fascinating.

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Mallard Hen On Slippery Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mallards|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling, duck, ducks, female, hen, ice, Mallard, mallards, pond, sliding, winter|

Last week I took a series of photos of a Mallard hen as she landed on slippery ice at a pond close to home in Salt Lake City.

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A Cook’s Memorial? Odd Things I Find While Looking For Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 19th, 2021|Categories: Miscellaneous, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: bows, cooks memorial, Curlycup Gumweed, desert, grasses, Grindelia squarrosa, memorial, odd things, pottery shards, range, roadside oddities, rocks, seashells, winter, wooden spoons|

As best as I can figure out what is in this photo is a cook's memorial that I found 7 years ago today out on a range in Utah's West Desert.

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Adult American Coot Bathing

By Mia McPherson|January 18th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, bath, bathing, cold, coot, coots, Fulica americana, gruiformes, icy, pond, splashing, water, winter|

Three days ago I photographed this adult American Coot bathing on a sunny afternoon at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.

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Urban Raptor Photography

By Mia McPherson|January 17th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: accipiter, Accipiter cooperii, Accipiters, adult, Bald Eagle, bird, birds of prey, branches, breakfast, Cooper’s Hawk, eagle, eagles, eating, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hawk, home, living room, low light, neighborhood, raptor photography, raptors, tree, urban, window, winter|

When I first moved to Utah in 2009 I never expected to be able to do urban raptor photography from my living room window.

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Winter Common Mergansers

By Mia McPherson|January 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, close up, Common Merganser, Definitive Basic Plumage, diving ducks, drake, drinking, duck, ducks, female, first winter, hen, immature, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, pond, Salt Lake County, swimming, Utah, water, white patches, winter, young|

Yesterday and the day before I was able to observe and photograph winter Common Mergansers at my local pond on both sunny afternoons.

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Photographing Winter Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 15th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Bald Eagles, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Canvasbacks, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya americana, Aythya valisineria, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Black-crowned Night Heron, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Canvasback, chase, close up, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, dicks, displaying, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eagle, eagles, female, fight, fighting, first winter, flight, flying, food, frisky, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, grebe, grebes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, heron, herons, immature, male, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, portrait, prey, Quiscalus mexicanus, raptors, Redhead, redheads, swimming, wading birds, water, waterfowl, weather loach, winter, young|

I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing winter birds at Farmington Bay WMA and closer to home in the morning and afternoon.

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California Gull On Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, authentic, authenticity, California Gull, close up, gull, gulls, handout, ice, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, pond, profile, thin ice, Willow Pond, winter|

I went down to my local pond yesterday afternoon where the first bird I photographed was an adult California Gull standing on thin ice.

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Male American Kestrel Perched On A Sign

By Mia McPherson|January 13th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, interpretive sign, kestrel, kestrels, male, perched, sign, sky, winter|

At the end of my trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on January 6th the last bird I photographed was an adult male American Kestrel.

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Where is Our Snow?

By Mia McPherson|January 12th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, clouds, gull, gulls, head on, high key, Larus delawarensis, mountains, Ring-billed Gull, sky, snow, snowy, whiteout, winter|

It is wintertime here in the Salt Lake Valley of northern Utah but given the lack of snow if it weren't for the cold temps you might not know that.

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First Winter American Herring Gulls

By Mia McPherson|January 11th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: American Herring Gull, first cycle, first winter, gull, gulls, ice, immature, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, overwinter, walking, water, wetlands, winter, young|

I recently wrote about my excitement that American Herring Gulls have started showing up in northern Utah. Last week I was able to photograph some of them.

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Common Raven On Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: adult, Common Raven, corvids, Corvus corax, fascinating, ice, intelligent, marsh, mimic speech, pairs, raven, ravens, small in frame, tools, winter|

Last week when I visited Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I photographed several birds on the frozen marsh including a Common Raven on ice.

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Immature Great Blue Heron On Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 9th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: Ardea herodias, first winter, fluffy, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, ice, immature, landing, marsh, rest, resting, wading birds, walking, winter, young|

Three days ago I photographed an immature Great Blue Heron on ice from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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My First Rough-legged Hawk of 2021

By Mia McPherson|January 8th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, East Canyon, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, male, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, winter|

Two days ago I photographed my first Rough-legged Hawk of 2021 at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Or was it two?

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Common Goldeneye Making Waves

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Utah|Tags: art imitates nature, Art Nouveau, bow wave, bubble, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, duck, ducks, goldeneye, goldeneyes, ice, landing, marsh, refuge, splashing, water, water formations, waterfowl, wave, wave formation, winter|

Yesterday morning I took a series of a Common Goldeneye making waves as he landed in icy cold water in the marshes of Bear River MBR.

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Brown Pelicans And Memories

By Mia McPherson|January 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Brown Pelicans, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: adult, birds, Brown Pelican, clouds, feeding, flight, flock, flying, foraging, Gulf of Mexico, Laughing Gull, Pelecanus occidentalis, pelican, pelicans, skimmer, skimmers, sky, splashing, tern, terns, water, winter|

Eleven years ago this morning I had an amazing time photographing flocks of Brown Pelicans plunge feeding in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Yearly Archives: 2021