Aquila chrysaetos – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Adult Golden Eagle On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, birds of prey, cliff, desert, eagle, eagles, fall, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, on the wing, raptor, ridge, sage, sagebrush, sky|

Back in November of 2017, I took this photo of an adult Golden Eagle flying past a ridge in Box Elder County. I'm not sure why I never shared it until today.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|December 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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Golden Eagle Rising Above A Ridge

By Mia McPherson|October 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, birds of prey, desert, eagle, eagles, fall, flight, flying, foothills, Golden Eagle, grasses, rabbitbrush, raptors, ridge, sky|

This morning I'm sharing a photo of a gorgeous adult Golden Eagle that I took just as it was taking off from a ridge, shortly after I found it.

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Young Golden Eagle On A Cliff

By Mia McPherson|April 2nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, Box Elder County, breeze, cliff, crown, desert, eagle, eagles, feathers, Golden Eagle, immature, lichen, morning, morning light, perched, raptors, rocks, shadow, spring, Utah, yawn, yawning, young|

I found and pointed out quite a few birds yesterday but my favorite was this young Golden Eagle on a cliff in morning light because it was so beautiful.

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The Golden Eagle – Utah’s Official State Bird Of Prey

By Mia McPherson|February 25th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, close up, desert, eagle, eagles, Eagles of Utah, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, immature, raptors, sky, Utah State Bird Of Prey, winter, young|

This morning I would like to celebrate the State of Utah's newly designated official state bird of prey, the Golden Eagle.

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Adult Golden Eagle In Flight In The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|June 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Golden Eagles, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, canyon, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, mountains, raptor, spring|

The last time I was in the Wasatch Mountains I had a brief window of opportunity to photograph an adult Golden Eagle in flight.

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Adult Golden Eagle Close Up

By Mia McPherson|February 13th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, blue sky, close up, eagle, eagles, flight, fly by, flying, Golden Eagle, raptors, sky, winter|

One year ago this morning spotting and photographing this adult Golden Eagle at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was the highlight of an otherwise crappy day.

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Golden Eagle Flying Over A Hill On Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|February 9th, 2021|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, American Bison, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, Bison, Bison bison, buffalo, bull, close up, clouds, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, grass, grasses, Great Salt Lake, hill, lake, male, portrait, raptors, sky, water, winter|

It has been a couple of years since I have found a Golden Eagle on Antelope Island so when I spotted an adult on a grassy hill yesterday I was excited.

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Golden Eagle On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|February 14th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, blue sky, branches, close up, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, lift off, lifting off, on the wing, perched, raptors, sky, tree, winter|

No matter how these Golden Eagle photos came to be I am happy to have photographed this magnificent bird on the wing.

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More Frustrations With Photographing Golden Eagles

By Mia McPherson|April 16th, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, frustrations in bird photography, Golden Eagle, hillside, lift off, low light, photographing, raptors, sagebrush, slope|

I get absolutely tired of the frustrations I have had trying to photograph Golden Eagles, it seems that something or someone always messes with my chances of getting the images I want of them.

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Golden Eagle soaring over the Great Salt Lake

By Mia McPherson|January 31st, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, Great Salt Lake, lake, raptors, soaring, Wasatch Mountains, water, winter|

Three years ago today I found and photographed a Golden Eagle that was soaring along the east side of Antelope Island over the Great Salt Lake.

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Perched Golden Eagle in Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2017|Categories: Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, desert, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, lift off, outcrop, perched, ranchlands, raptors, rocks, rocky, winter|

Two days ago this Golden Eagle was perched on a rocky outcrop but because of a blind spot I didn't see it quite soon enough but at least I was able to get a few decent images of it.

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Moon Set Over the Snowy Promontory Mountains and a Deceased Golden Eagle

By Mia McPherson|January 24th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, eagle, eagles, Golden Eagle, Hawkwatch International, moon, moon set, Promontory Mountains, snow, snow-covered, snowy, vehicle strikes, winter|

Further down the road I spotted a dark lump on the shoulder and my heart sank because I immediately realized that the lump was a deceased Golden Eagle.

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Golden Eagle, Turkey Vultures Plus a Covey of Gray Partridges

By Mia McPherson|August 26th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Gray Partridges, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, Cathartes aura, covey, eagle, eagles, Golden Eagle, Gray Partridge, lichen, partridge, partridges, Perdix perdix, raptors, thermoregulating, thermoregulation, Turkey Vulture, upland terrestrial birds, vulture, vultures|

I spent time in northern Utah yesterday and I was able to photograph a juvenile Golden Eagle, Turkey Vultures plus a covey of Gray Partridges.

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Adult Golden Eagle Perched and in Flight

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2016|Categories: Golden Eagles, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, boulders, desert plateau, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, morning light, perched, raptors, winter|

I was able to get a few images of a Golden Eagle yesterday morning as it perched on some huge, ancient boulders in early morning light.

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Failed Quest for Gold – Golden Eagles that is

By Mia McPherson|January 30th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, Canis latrans, chase, Coyote, eagle, eagles, Eremophila alpestris, frustrations in bird photography, Golden Eagle, Horned Lark, jackrabbit, lark, larks, magpie, nemesis, prey, raptors, sagebrush|

It never, ever fails that when I have an opportunity to photograph Golden Eagles something always goes wrong.

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Golden Eagle in falling snow

By Mia McPherson|December 29th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, desert island, eagle, eagles, falling snow, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, raptor, raptors, snow, snow storm, winter|

Yesterday morning found me on Antelope Island in low light and falling snow with a pair of Golden Eagles wishing for better light and clear skies.

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Someday… I’ll Get My Dream Golden Eagle Photos

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, desert, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, immature, raptors, sky, winter, young|

I have had so many opportunities with Golden Eagles and each time something goes wrong.

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A Golden Eagle that was TOO close

By Mia McPherson|January 13th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, close up, desert island, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, fog, foggy, Golden Eagle, high key, low light, raptors, snow, snowy, too close, winter|

Early yesterday morning Antelope Island State Park did not have the best conditions for bird photography, there were clouds, a bit of lake fog and low light so when I spotted this Golden Eagle perched on a sagebrush in those conditions I was dismayed.

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Almost – Golden Eagle in flight

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, desert, desert island, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, hillside, raptors, spring|

Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have thus far been a nemesis bird for me and when I spotted one yesterday I thought I might finally get the shots I have long wanted.

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