curious – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Carolina Wren Perched On Driftwood

By Mia McPherson|September 15th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Carolina Wrens, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, Akansas, alert, back view, calling, Carolina Wren, chattering, curious, down, driftwood, end, eye, feeder, garden, looking, perch, perched, Sebastian County, staring, summer, Thryothorus ludovicianus, urban, wren, wrens, yard|

While I was photographing a bathing Tufted Titmouse yesterday, a Carolina Wren snuck in silently and landed on a driftwood perch near where I was sitting.

9

Red Fox Kit Photos

By Mia McPherson|March 14th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Red Foxes, Utah|Tags: baby, close up, curious, cute, fox, foxes, grass, immature, kit, kits, mammals, marsh, portrait, Red Fox, red fox kits, resting, roadside, scratching, side view, spring, standing, stretching, Vulpes vulpes, wetlands, young|

Bad weather and bad timing have kept me out of the field for a bit. Today, I am sharing some cute Red Fox kit photos I took almost a year after I moved to Utah.

6

Carolina Chickadee Images From Arkansas

By Mia McPherson|July 27th, 2023|Categories: Arkansas, Carolina Chickadees, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, Arkansas, bright, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, chickadees, curious, driftwood, feeder, head tilt, hull, hungry, looking, morning light, perch, perched, Poecile carolinensis, Sebastian County, soft, summer, sunflower, urban, yard|

I was thrilled to take scores of Carolina Chickadee images when I was in Arkansas, from the comfort of my friend Steve Creek's deck while I visited with him.

2

Some Mammals I Loved In 2022

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2022|Categories: American Badgers, Davis County, Elk, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Least Chipmunks, Long-tailed Weasels, Morgan County, Mule Deer, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, American Badger, autumn, baby, badger, badger burrow, badgers, canyon, Cervus canadensis, chipmunk, chipmunks, close up, cow, curious, cute, Elk, elks, fall, female, fence post, grazing, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, high Uintas, hillside, kissing, Least Chipmunk, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, marsh, mountains, Mustela frenata, mustelids, Neotamias minimus, portrait, profile, roadside, rock, rock pile, rocks, rocky slope, shadow, spring, squirrel, squirrels, summer, summer coat, Taxidea taxus, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wooden post, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

This morning I am sharing some photos of the mammals I loved finding, seeing, photographing and having in my viewfinder in 2022.

10

Long-tailed Weasel Close Up Photos

By Mia McPherson|September 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Long-tailed Weasels, Rock Wrens, Utah, Wildlife|Tags: adult, close up, curious, focused, leaning, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marsh, Mustela frenata, mustelids, portrait, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, staring, summer, summer coat, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wren, wrens|

This morning I am thrilled to share these Long-tailed Weasel photos taken on the last full day of summer at Farmington Bay WMA which are all thanks to a Rock Wren.

11

Late Summer Yellow-rumped Warbler

By Mia McPherson|September 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: branches, curious, leafy, leaves, Setophaga coronata, summer, tree, warbler, warblers, wetlands, wood-warbler, wood-warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbler|

Yesterday morning I enjoyed having this Yellow-rumped Warbler pop into an open area of a leafy tree at Farmington Bay WMA for a few seconds.

3

Spring Male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

By Mia McPherson|May 14th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, branch, branches, breeding plumage, curious, desert, flowering tree, gnatcatcher, gnatcatchers, juniper woodland, junipers, looking, male, mountains, perched, Polioptila caerulea, singing, sky island mountains, spring, squinting, tree|

I was thrilled to find and photograph a male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in spring breeding plumage yesterday at the edge of a juniper woodland in Tooele County.

8

Ring-billed Gull Perched On A Wooden Pole

By Mia McPherson|September 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: adult, clouds, curious, gull, gulls, Larus delawarensis, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, perched, Ring-billed Gull, sky, summer, wetlands, wooden pole|

When I saw this Ring-billed Gull perched on a wooden pole at Farmington Bay WMA last week I knew I wanted to have it in my viewfinder.

3

Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel Photos

By Mia McPherson|June 17th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: alert, baby, canyon, curious, eating, grass, grasses, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, immature, mountains, spring, squirrel, squirrels, standing, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, young|

Last week I was able to take a nice long series of baby Uinta Ground Squirrel photos high in the Wasatch Mountains.

5

Curious Short-eared Owl Fledgling At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|June 26th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, chick, curious, fledgling, grass, grasses, immature, morning light, owl, owls, parallaxing, ranchlands, Short-eared Owl, side lit, summer, white wildflowers, young|

I took quite a few photos of the fledgling Short-eared Owl that I had a clear view of and even though the lighting wasn't the best I was enchanted by the views I had of it.

7

Photographing Gray Catbird Interactions In The Mountains

By Mia McPherson|June 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, agitated, Amelanchier utahensis, back view, barbed wire, bush, calling, canyon, catbird, catbirds, close up, curious, Dumetella carolinensis, excited, falling, fence, fence post, fluttering, foot, Gray Catbird, interacting, jumped, kicking, lichen, look, mimids, mountains, portrait, riparian zone, Roundleaf Snowberry, rufous undertail coverts, shelter, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, Utah Serviceberry, wings, wooden post|

This morning I'm grateful that I spotted a single Gray Catbird pop up on top of a snowberry bush yesterday morning because if I hadn't none of the following photos would have been possible.

15

Wild Turkey Hens On Bales Of Hay

By Mia McPherson|March 21st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wild Turkeys|Tags: alert, curious, female, hay, hay bales, hen, Meleagris gallopavo, turkey, turkeys, upland terrestrial birds, Wild Turkey|

I'm hoping to get back up into some mountains soon where I know more Wild Turkeys are because as much as I like the bales of hay in these photos I'd love to get photos of turkeys in more natural settings again.

8

‘Tis The Season For Uinta Ground Squirrel Babies

By Mia McPherson|June 2nd, 2019|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildlife|Tags: above ground, babies, baby, boulder, burrow, calling, curious, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, immature, lichen, spring, squirrel, squirrels, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, young|

I've been seeing baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and two days ago I was finally able to photograph some of the cute little balls of fur near their burrow.

8

An Orange-crowned Warbler Foraging on Utah Serviceberries

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Orange-crowned Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Amelanchier utahensis, berries, berry, curious, foraging, hatch year, Leiothlypis celata, Orange-crowned Warbler, ripe, serviceberry, summer, Utah Serviceberry, warbler, warblers|

This Orange-crowned Warbler was only in my viewfinder for about a minute but she gave me great views and quite a few different poses to photograph and I was delighted with the photos I took.

3

Feathers & Fur – Short-eared Owl, Shaking Brewer’s Blackbird and a Curious Long-tailed Weasel

By Mia McPherson|October 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Long-tailed Weasels, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, bath, blackbird, blackbirds, close up, curious, fence post, flight, flying, Long-tailed Weasel, male, marsh, Mustela frenata, owl, owls, portrait, post, shaking, Short-eared Owl, weasel, weasels, wooden post|

So it wasn't a great morning but it wasn't all that bad either because I was able to focus on a Short-eared Owl, Brewer's Blackbirds and one curious Long-tailed Weasel.

6

Yellow Warbler Photos – My Wasatch Mountain Feathered Gold Rush

By Mia McPherson|August 29th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: Amelanchier utahensis, berries, branch, curious, male, messy, serviceberry, Setophaga petechia, Utah Serviceberry, warbler, warblers, Yellow Warbler|

I've had such an amazing time this year photographing Yellow Warblers in the Wasatch Mountains and I've enjoyed learning more about them and their behaviors since early May.

7

Lazuli Buntings In Serviceberry Trees – Fattening Up Before Migration

By Mia McPherson|August 26th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, Morgan County, Shrubs, Trees, Utah|Tags: Amelanchier utahensis, berry, bunting, buntings, curious, eating, female, gape, immature, Lazuli Bunting, male, molting, Passerina amoena, serviceberry, young|

Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to photograph male, female and immature Lazuli Buntings as they have been gorging on the fruits of Serviceberry trees to fatten up before their migration.

5

Yellow-bellied Marmots on Groundhog Day

By Mia McPherson|February 2nd, 2018|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, burrows, close up, curious, grass, grasses, Groundhog Day, large ground squirrel, lichen, lichen covered, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, portrait, pup, Rock Chuck, rocks, wary, Whistle Pig, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

Punxsutawney Phil can have the spotlight today, our Yellow-bellied Marmots will have their time in the sun soon enough.

3

Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?

By Mia McPherson|July 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: adult, behavior, bib, branch, breast, curious, forest, intruding, male, Red-naped Sapsucker, sapsucker, sapsuckers, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, trees, woodpecker, woodpeckers|

I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.

6

Male Cassin’s Finches Foraging in Beaverhead County, Montana

By Mia McPherson|June 11th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Cassin's Finches, Centennial Valley, Montana|Tags: adult, barbed wire, Cassin's Finch, curious, Dandelion, eating, fence, finch, finches, flock, fluff, foraging, Haemorhous cassinii, males, perched, plucking, seed, seeds, summer, valley|

Two years ago today I was in Beaverhead County, Montana photographing Cassin's Finches foraging on the seeds of dandelions on a morning that had sunshine and plenty of fog.

10