Aythya collaris – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Ring-necked Duck And An Odd Lesser Scaup

By Mia McPherson|January 20th, 2024|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Aythya affinis, Aythya collaris, diving ducks, duck, ducks, ID, idenitification, identification, key features, Lesser Scaup, male, odd, park, pond, possible hybrid, Ring-necked Duck, scaup, scaups, spur, spurs, urban, water, winter|

Seven days ago I found a Ring-necked Duck and an odd Lesser Scaup drake at my local pond. The scaup puzzled me and I wondered if he might be a hybrid.

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Urban Ring-necked Duck Hen

By Mia McPherson|February 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Aythya collaris, diving ducks, duck, ducks, female, hen, pond, Ring-necked Duck, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

Just a simple urban Ring-necked Duck hen photo this morning. I photographed this female diving duck at my local pond exactly five years ago today.

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Some Of The Joys Of Photographing Birds Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|November 19th, 2018|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Canada Geese, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: afternoon light, American Coot, Aythya collaris, behavior, Branta canadensis, California Gull, Canada Geese, Circle Display, circling, duck, ducks, female, flight, flying, Fulica americana, geese, goose, grebe, grebes, gulls, hen, Larus californicus, lifting off, open bill, photograph, photographing, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, underwater vegetation, waterfowl|

I spent some time at one of the local ponds yesterday afternoon and came home with photos that made me smile and for a little while I forgot about the long hours I spent getting skunked on the road earlier in the day.

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Possible Name Change for Ring-necked Duck to Ring-billed Duck

By Mia McPherson|January 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Birding Association, American Ornithological Society, Aythya collaris, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, name change, pond, Ring-billed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, urban, waterfowl, winter|

In 2017 one of the proposals submitted to the AOS is to rename Ring-necked Ducks to Ring-billed Ducks and I personally am all for the name change!

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The Advantages of Photographing Birds Close to Home

By Mia McPherson|February 18th, 2014|Categories: American Coots, American White Pelicans, Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Coot, American White Pelican, Aythya collaris, close to home, coots, ducks, Fulica americana, grebes, mergansers, Mergus serrator, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelicans, photograph, photographing, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-necked Duck|

Many beginning photographers dream of taking images in far off places of exotic birds and there is nothing wrong with that. But we shouldn’t overlook the advantages of photographing birds close to home.

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Funny Monday Birds

By Mia McPherson|March 25th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-necked Ducks, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah|Tags: Alectoris chukar, Aythya collaris, Chukar, funny, humor, Phasianus colchicus, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-necked Pheasant|

Just some funny images of birds for a Monday. These photos just beg for humorous captions.

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Ring-necked Duck Drake

By Mia McPherson|November 23rd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Aythya collaris, breeding plumage, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, pond, Ring-necked Duck, Salt Lake County, urban, Utah, water, water birds, water fowl, wildlife photography, winter|

I photographed this drake Ring-necked Duck in breeding plumage a few years ago on a pond not far from where I live.

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Things are getting Ducky in Utah!

By Mia McPherson|October 1st, 2011|Categories: Birds, Buffleheads, Cinnamon Teals, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Gadwalls, Greater Scaups, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake Valley|Tags: Anas acuta, Anas platyrhynchos, autumn, Aythya collaris, Aythya marila, Bucephala albeola, Bucephala clangula, Bufflehead, Cinnamon Teal, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Davis County, Gadwall, Greater Scaup, Mallard, Mareca strepera, Mergus merganser, Mergus serrator, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, Salt Lake County, Spatula clypeata, Spatula cyanoptera|

Another wonderful change that I have been seeing is that a variety of duck species have been arriving at the Great Salt Lake

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