flying – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Barn Owl Delight

By Mia McPherson|April 21st, 2011|Categories: American Barn Owls, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Barn Owl, birds of prey, flight, flying, Great Salt Lake, marsh, nesting season, owl, owls, shoreline, spring, Tyto furcata, wetlands|

I had a delightful experience this past week in northern Utah with a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) that was flying along side the road that we were traveling on.

4

Brown Pelicans – Feeding Behaviors and Identification

By Mia McPherson|February 19th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Brown Pelicans, Florida, Pinellas County|Tags: adults, bird ID, Brown Pelican, feeding behavior, flight, flying, Gulf of Mexico, juveniles, Pelecanus occidentalis, pelican, pelicans, plunge diving, water|

Brown Pelicans feed by diving head first into the water to trap fish in the pouches of their bills.

2

An amazing encounter…or two with a young Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|February 17th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Bald Eagle, bird photography, birds of prey, close up, eagle, eagles, fence, fence rail, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, juvenile, juveniles, marsh, mountains, one year old, perched, portrait, raptors, snow, winter, yearling, young|

I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.

4

Northern Shovelers blasting off

By Mia McPherson|February 11th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: adult, Antelope Island Causeway, back lit, bird photography, blast off, blasting off, chaos, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, flight, flying, Great Salt Lake, hypersaline lake, lake, lift off, Northern Shoveler, shoveler, shovelers, Spatula clypeata, take off, winter|

This morning when we had almost reached Antelope Island I spotted a huge flock of Northern Shovelers blasting off from the water

1

Great Egret – Light on White

By Mia McPherson|December 5th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Egrets|Tags: adult, Ardea alba, bird ID, clouds, coastal, egret, egrets, flight, flying, Great Egret, light, nature, Pinellas County, sky, spring, wading bird, white, whites, wildlife|

Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight, a balance of whites and light

2

Reddish Egret – White Morph

By Mia McPherson|November 25th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Reddish Egrets|Tags: bird photography, breeding plumage, clouds, egret, egrets, Egretta rufescens, flight, flying, morning sky, Reddish Egret, white morph|

Breeding plumage white morph Reddish Egret while it hunted and danced in the waves on the Gulf coast of Florida.

1

Northern Harrier – Gray Ghost

By Mia McPherson|November 24th, 2010|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Low light, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, fall, flight, flying, Gray Ghost, Gray Ghosts, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, hovering, male, marsh, Northern Harrier, raptors, wetlands|

I will have more opportunities with northern harriers in better light this winter and while I wouldn't consider this image perfect, I am happy with the results I obtained while photographing this "Gray Ghost".

2

Shorebirds of Fort De Soto – Marbled Godwits

By Mia McPherson|November 10th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Marbled Godwits|Tags: adult, bills, blur, coast, coastal, crustaceans, feeding, flight, flying, foraging, funny pose, Godwit, godwits, graceful, grasshoppers, Great Plains, Gulf of Mexico, insects, lagoon, landing, Limosa fedoa, low tide, Marbled Godwit, mixed flocks, mollusks, mudflats, one leg, plant tubers, preening, probe, resting, shorebirds, tundra, water|

Marbled Godwits are graceful birds while on the ground, feeding and in flight.

Comments Off

Great Blue Herons

By Mia McPherson|September 26th, 2010|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County, Roosevelt Wetlands, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, baiting ethics, bird photography, close up, ethics, flight, flying, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, hunting, immature, juveniles, nest, nesting, perched, portrait, prey, sand dune, snag, snow, stalking, wading birds, wetlands, winter|

Great Blue Herons are North America's largest heron and one of the three largest herons in the world.

2