heat waves – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Focusing On Herring Gulls – Winter Visitors To Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|January 9th, 2020|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, breeze, California Gull, clouds, distortion, eating, fish, fishing, frost, gull, gulls, gulping, heat waves, ice, Larus smithsonianus, lifting off, marsh, mixed, mountains, photograph, photographing, prey, Ring-billed Gull, sky, snow, snow-covered, swallowing, water, winter|

I know some people don't get excited about gulls but I do and I was thrilled two days ago at Bear River MBR when I spotted and photographed my first Herring Gulls of this winter season.

4

An Immature Rough-legged Hawk Hunting For Prey At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|December 21st, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, breeze, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, capturing, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, heat wave distortion, heat waves, immature, marsh, perched, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, snow, wetlands, winter|

Two days ago when I stopped counting Rough-legged Hawks while at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge the number had topped out at fifteen.

6

Hen Mallard In Fresh Snow

By Mia McPherson|December 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Frustrations in bird photography, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, frustrations in bird photography, heat wave distortion, heat waves, Mallard, mallards, snow, walking, waterfowl, winter|

This post is about this pretty little Mallard hen walking in the fresh snow that fell during the night two days ago.

11

Frustrations of Bird Photography at Below Freezing Temps – Heat Waves Suck

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: below freezing weather, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, clouds, frustrations in bird photography, Great Salt Lake, hawks, heat wave distortion, heat waves, ice, Promontory Mountain Range, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, snow, trouble focusing|

Every single image I took yesterday was way softer than they would have been had it not been for those heat waves coming up the side of the pickup. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly.

12