flying – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Morning Spent at a Burrowing Owl Burrow

By Mia McPherson|June 23rd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, Athene cunicularia, barbed wire, birds of prey, Burrowing Owl, Circus hudsonius, fence, fledgling, fledglings, flight, flying, Gray Ghost, harrier, harriers, immature, juvenile, landing, Northern Harrier, owl, owls, Western Burrowing Owl|

Last week I posted an image of Burrowing Owl siblings that I found in northern Utah and today I am posting images of that burrow after spending yesterday morning being delighted by them once more.

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Red-tailed Hawk just after lift off

By Mia McPherson|June 20th, 2015|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, lift off, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, Western Red-tailed hawk|

This Red-tailed Hawk image was taken last week in the Centennial Valley of Montana just after the hawk lifted off from a power pole.

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Western Kingbirds On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|June 1st, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: adult, Artemisia tridentata, Big Sagebrush, bird photography, desert, flight, flycatcher, flycatchers, flying, island, kingbird, kingbirds, landing, lift off, on the wing, sagebrush, take off, Tyrannus verticalis, Western Kingbird|

I had fun photographing Western Kingbirds again yesterday on Antelope Island State Park and hours later I was still hearing their calls in my mind.

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Killdeer in Flight Over Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By Mia McPherson|May 30th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Killdeer, Utah|Tags: adult, Charadrius vociferus, difficult, flight, flying, Killdeer, marsh, marshes, medium sized, plover, plovers, refuge, shorebirds, sky, wetlands|

I have found trying to capture a Killdeer in flight a difficult endeavor because they fly fast and are hard to track but yesterday I did just that.

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California Gulls on a Clear April Morning

By Mia McPherson|April 21st, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, California Gull, close up, desert island, flight, flying, grasshopper hatch, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, portrait, spring|

The California Gulls and the Marbled Godwit came in close and I decided to do some portrait images of the gull.

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Long-billed Curlew calling in flight

By Mia McPherson|March 31st, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: adult, Buffalo Point, calling, curlew, curlews, Davis County, flight, flying, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, spring|

Long-billed Curlews will nest on the island in the grasses soon but before then I look forward to watching their courtship displays both on the ground and in the air.

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Return of the Tree Swallows

By Mia McPherson|March 25th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding season, bug eating machines, first of year, flight, flock, flying, male, marsh, migration, nest box, nesting box, phragmites, phrags, refuge, return, spring, stand, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.

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Red-shouldered Hawk at Myakka River State Park, Florida

By Mia McPherson|March 24th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Florida, Myakka River State Park, Red-shouldered Hawks, Sarasota County|Tags: adult, birds of prey, branch, Buteo lineatus, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Florida, lift off, perched, raptors, Red-shouldered Hawk, sky, swamp, tree, winter|

In January of 2009 I went to Myakka River State Park with three of my bird photography friends and the raptor highlight of the day was this Red-shouldered Hawk.

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Partially Leucistic Black-billed Magpie

By Mia McPherson|March 20th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Leucistic, Utah|Tags: "piebald" effect, bird photography, Black-billed Magpie, bush, Davis County, flight, flying, landing, leucism, leucistic, magpie, magpies, Partially leucistic, Pica hudsonia, pied, pigment issues|

Last week I photographed some Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park and one of them was partially leucistic

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A female Northern Harrier in flight

By Mia McPherson|March 17th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, female, flight, flying, harriers, hawks, Hawks of Utah, Northern Harrier, raptors|

But... things seem to be leveling out now much like this female Northern Harrier in flight that I photographed along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah in mid January.

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Collared Tundra Swans – Banded Together and Staying Together

By Mia McPherson|March 12th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, banded, Certificate of Appreciation, collared, Cygnus columbianus, female, flight, flying, marsh, pens, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, USGS, waterfowl, wetlands, Whistling Swan, winter|

Last week I posted some Tundra Swan images and mentioned that two of the swans I saw had markers on their necks, these are those swans flying together over the marsh.

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Double-crested Cormorant coming in for a landing

By Mia McPherson|March 9th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: birds, coast, coastal, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, flight, flying, Gulf of Mexico, landing, landing pose, molt, molting, Nannopterum auritus, Pinellas County, sky|

I'm glad the Double-crested Cormorant didn't decide to relive itself as it came in to land or I might have been wearing white-wash!

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Tundra Swans of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By Mia McPherson|March 6th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, lift off, marsh, Promontory Mountains, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, Tundra Swans, wetlands|

I spent part of my morning yesterday being serenaded by the calls of thousands of Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah.

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Northern Harriers On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|February 20th, 2015|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: bird photography, birds of prey, facial discs, flight, flying, Gray Ghosts, habitat, harrier, harriers, hawk, Hawks of Utah, marsh, Marsh hawk, marshy, Northern Harrier, owl-like, snow, Wasatch Range, winter|

Male Northern Harriers, also called Gray Ghosts, are especially delightful to my eye when their plumage contrasts with soft bluebird skies that have just a touch of habitat in them

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Hovering Rufous Hummingbird

By Mia McPherson|February 9th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Cleomella serrulata, Davis County, flight, flying, hovering, hummingbird, hummingbirds, pink wildflowers, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus, wildflowers|

I can't help but think of the birds I will see later in the year like this Rufous Hummingbird I photographed last August on Antelope Island State Park.

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American White Pelicans in the spotlight

By Mia McPherson|February 8th, 2015|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, flight, flying, marsh, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, river, sky, water, white pelicans|

So, since the temperatures have been so much warmer than normal I wouldn't be surprised to see American White Pelicans any day now.

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Northern Harrier searching for prey along the Antelope Island Causeway

By Mia McPherson|January 24th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: Circus hudsonius, coursing, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawks, hunting, Marsh hawk, mudflats, Northern Harrier, photographing, prey, raptor, sky, voles, winter|

Three days ago I had fun photographing a Northern Harrier searching for prey along the Antelope Island Causeway

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Raising my glass to 2015!

By Mia McPherson|January 1st, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Beaverhead County, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, House Wrens, Idaho, Montana, Moose, Swainson's Hawks, Targhee National Forest, Utah|Tags: Alces alces, bird photography, birds, Black-billed Magpie, Buteo swainsoni, Buteos, calf, close up, flight, flying, grasses, hawk, hawks, House Wren, immature, juvenile, magpie, magpies, Moose, Pica hudsonia, portrait, raptors, road, running, Swainson's Hawk, Troglodytes aedon, wildlife photography, wren, wrens|

Raising the glass attached to my camera that is! I'm excited about the photographic opportunities that will present themselves in 2015.

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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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Christmas Day snow storm and a Red-tailed Hawk

By Mia McPherson|December 25th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, Christmas, Davis County, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, snow, snow storm|

I'm glad the hawk wasn't any closer or I would have missed out on exactly this image that I will always remember was created on this Christmas Day.

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Eye Level Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|December 16th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: aerodynamic, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, eye level, female, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawks, hen, immature, juvenile, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, raptor, snow, winter|

I love to photograph birds in flight and it doesn't matter which species it is. But I do thoroughly enjoy photographing raptors like this Northern Harrier as they fly by.

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Rough-legged Hawk on a gray day

By Mia McPherson|December 13th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, flight, flying, gray day, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, light morph, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, winter, young|

The day in 2011 when I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk was gray but it didn't really bother me to capture this handsome bird in low light.

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Immature Northern Harrier On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 12th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, female, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawks, immature, marsh, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, raptors, sky, wetlands|

So I missed out on seeing the Northern Harriers, Bald Eagles and American Kestrels at Farmington Bay WMA this morning but decided to post an older image of an immature Northern Harrier on the wing.

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Bison And Birds On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 6th, 2014|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, European Starlings, Utah|Tags: American Bison, autumn, Bison bison, buffalo, Davis County, desert island, European Starling, fall, flight, flock, flying, grasses, hill, sky, starling, starlings, stormy, stormy light, Sturnus vulgaris, wildlife, wildlife photography, winter|

The light and clouds looked iffy this morning but Antelope Island didn't disappoint when it came to bison and birds plus some dramatic light.

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Barn Owl on the Wing

By Mia McPherson|November 30th, 2014|Categories: American Barn Owls, Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Barn Owl, birds of prey, flight, flying, marsh, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, snow, Tyto furcata, wetlands, winter|

Barn Owls are gorgeous with their dark as ebony eyes, beautiful plumage and graceful flight so I find it difficult to suppress my delight when I see them on the wing.

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Happy Thanksgiving

By Mia McPherson|November 27th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: bird photography, birds, birds of prey, Davis County, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, raptors, snow|

This year has been zipping by so quickly and it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already here and I really have so much to be grateful for.

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Red-tailed Hawk juvenile in flight in low light

By Mia McPherson|November 21st, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hawks, Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: bird photography, birds, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, flight, flying, fog, hawk, hawks, high key, immature, juvenile, low light, Red-tailed Hawk, snow|

I could not resist photographing the young Red-tailed Hawk though as it lifted off and flew in front of me after prey even though conditions were not ideal.

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Juvenile Northern Harrier in flight

By Mia McPherson|November 12th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, clouds, dive-bombed, female, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, harsh winter, hawk, hawks, immature, juvenile, Marsh hawk, marshes, Northern Harrier, raptor, sky, survival rate, vole population|

Northern Harriers are year round residents in Utah and I am encouraged by the numbers of them I have seen lately at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Veterans Day 2014

By Mia McPherson|November 11th, 2014|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, bird photography, birds, birds of prey, Davis County, flight, flying, raptors|

Words will never fully be enough when I think about the sacrifices our Veterans have made for our country.

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Pair of Greater Yellowlegs in flight

By Mia McPherson|November 3rd, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, fall, flight, flying, Greater Yellowlegs, marsh, migration, pair, shorebirds, sky, Tringa melanolueca, wetlands, yellowlegs|

Shorebirds are still migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and Farmington Bay WMA and there have been quite a few Greater Yellowlegs in the area.

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