eagle – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Charleston Lake Fog – A Start To A Beautiful Morning

By Mia McPherson|November 16th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Bald Eagles, Birds, Charleston Lake Park, Franklin County, Video|Tags: Arkansas, autumn, Bald Eagle, Charleston Lake, eagle, eagles, fall, fog, foggy, Franklin County, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, lake, morning, perched, raptors, tree, trees, water|

Today, I'm sharing a view and video of Charleston Lake shrouded in fog, with a Bald Eagle perched high in a tree. It was a beautiful start to the morning.

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Buffalo National River – My First Visit

By Mia McPherson|October 24th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Bald Eagles, Birds, Boxley Valley, Buffalo National River, Newton County, Video|Tags: adult, autumn, Bald Eagle, bluffs, Boxley Valley, Buffalo River, campground, color, eagle, eagles, fall, fall colors, flight, flying, forest, forest edge, grasses, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mountains, Old Whiteley Springs Springhouse, raptors, river, shadows, sky, spring, springhouse, trees, valley|

Last week, I went to Buffalo National River in Newton County with Steve Creek and his dog Rosie, and I was thrilled by the Elk and the gorgeous fall scenery.

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Young Bald Eagle On The Road

By Mia McPherson|February 17th, 2024|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: auto tour loop, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, dirt road, eagle, eagles, habitat, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, haze, immature, marsh, mountains, observation tower, phragmites, phrags, raptors, sky, sub-adult, subadult, vault toilet, wetlands, winter, young|

This Bald Eagle photo isn't my best image of this species, and that is alright with me. I took the photo five days ago on the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR.

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Bald Eagle On A Pole

By Mia McPherson|February 6th, 2024|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, desert, eagle, eagles, Eagles of Utah, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, perched, pole, prey, ranchlands, raptors, telephone pole, telephone pole insulators, winter|

Two years ago today, I spotted this gorgeous adult Bald Eagle perched on a pole from about a half-mile away on a bright, sunny morning up in far northern Utah.

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Bald Eagle On A Leaning Post Plus Trees With The Earth Shadow And Belt Of Venus

By Mia McPherson|January 31st, 2024|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, Belt of Venus, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, earth shadow, grasses, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, leaning, majestic, marsh, pasture, perched, post, raptors, regal, scenery, sky, trees, wetlands, winter|

While I was up at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday, I photographed a Bald Eagle on a leaning post, plus trees with the Earth Shadow and Belt of Venus.

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American Herring Gull In Flight Close Up

By Mia McPherson|January 6th, 2024|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, birds of prey, close up, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, gull, gulls, ice, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, raptors, water, wetlands, winter, winter plumage|

Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.

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Just A Simple Bald Eagle Post

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, leaning, marsh, perched, post, raptors, wetlands, winter, wooden post|

This morning, I'm writing a simple Bald Eagle post about a well-known Bald Eagle post at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City, Utah.

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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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Bald Eagle Calling At Dawn

By Mia McPherson|August 10th, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, Arkansas River, Bald Eagle, bottomland hardwood forest, bottomlands, branch, calling, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, perched, raptors, river, sky, spring|

I saw Bald Eagles every time I went to Sequoyah NWR with my friend, Steve Creek. This morning, I am sharing a photo of a Bald Eagle calling from the refuge.

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Young Bald Eagle Looking Fierce

By Mia McPherson|February 28th, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: Bald Eagle, blue, desert, eagle, eagles, Eagles of Utah, fierce, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, looking, perched, pole, power pole, ranchlands, raptors, sky, subadult, winter, young|

Today I'm sharing a photo of a young Bald Eagle who was looking mighty fierce while perched on a power pole that I took last February on a very cold morning.

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Leaning Post Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|February 4th, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, leaning, looking, marsh, perched, post, raptors, stern, tradition, wetlands, winter|

After my recent visit to Bear River MBR I wanted to share photos of a Bald Eagle on a leaning post that can be seen from the road leading to the auto tour loop.

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Missing Our Neighborhood Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, branches, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mountains, neighborhood, pond, raptors, sky, tree, trees, urban, winter|

By this time in January I have usually already seen and photographed our neighborhood Bald Eagle that visits during the winter for a few weeks.

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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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Adult Bald Eagle Resting On Ice

By Mia McPherson|March 10th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, bright, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, ice, light, marsh, raptors, resting, spring thaw, thaw, thawing, water, wetlands, winter|

Earlier this week I took a few adult Bald Eagle on ice photos at Bear River MBR from the west side of the twelve mile auto tour loop at the refuge.

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Two Bald Eagle Images From Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 2nd, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, Bear River, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, leaning, marsh, morning light, perched, raptors, river, sky, snag, wetlands, winter, wooden post|

The first bird I photographed on the last day of February was an adult Bald Eagle in the soft morning light who was perched on a leaning wooden post.

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Adult Bald Eagle Resting On An Icy Wetland

By Mia McPherson|February 26th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, frost, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, ice, ice shelf, marsh, raptors, resting, snow, water, wetlands|

Earlier this month I watched as this adult Bald Eagle flew in and landed on an ice shelf to take a rest on the wetlands of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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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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Bald Eagle Photos On A Leaning Wooden Post Thru The Years

By Mia McPherson|January 4th, 2022|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, grasses, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, heat wave distortion, ice, leaning, marsh, morning, mountains, post, raptors, river, sunrise, water, wetlands, winter, wooden post|

If you go to Bear River MBR during the winter chances are that you have or will see a Bald Eagle perched on this large wooden post at one time or another.

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Christmas Day Bird Photos Through the Years

By Mia McPherson|December 25th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Common Merganser, diving ducks, duck ducks, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, foggy, four year old, Great Blue Heron, haks, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hawk, heron, herons, immature, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, perched, post, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, sky, snow, snow storm, subadult, tree, water, wetlands, winter, young|

These are all birds I have photographed on Christmas Day through the years and all of them were photographed at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Merlin On A Large Wooden Post At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|December 7th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Merlins, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, Falco columbarius, Falco columbarius richardsonii, falcon, falcons, fall, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, ice, marsh, Merlin, merlins, perched, Prairie Merlin, raptors, small in frame, wetlands, winter, wooden post|

Last week I spotted a Merlin perched on a large wooden post way out in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

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It Is Time To Watch For Bald Eagles In Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|November 3rd, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, on the wing, pond, raptors, sky, trees, urban, winter|

Starting today I will be keeping an eye out for the return of Bald Eagles to the lower elevations of northern Utah.

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It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|October 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, clouds, Cygnus columbianus, eagle, eagles, feeding, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, marsh, mountains, on the wing, Promontory Mountains, raptors, scenery, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.

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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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Immature Bald Eagle In The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|March 8th, 2021|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Bald Eagle, birds of prey, eagle, eagles, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, mountains, perched, raptors, second winter, snow, subadult, tree, Weber River|

When I spotted this immature Bald Eagle high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago I hoped at some point to get photos of it 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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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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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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