hovering – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Rufous Hummingbird hovering by Rocky Mountain Bee Plant

By Mia McPherson|August 16th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Rufous Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Cleomella serrulata, Davis County, desert island, flight, flying, hovering, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus, summer, wildflower, wildflowers|

This Rufous Hummingbird had a favorite perch that looked out over its favorite patch of Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.

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Female Black-chinned Hummingbird and a Bee Plant

By Mia McPherson|August 15th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, bird photography, bird watching, birding, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Cleomella serrulata, Davis County, female, flight, flying, hovering, hummingbird, hummingbirds, pollinating, pollinator, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant|

The brief appearance of this Black-chinned Hummingbird delighted me yesterday as she fed on the Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.

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Hovering Forster’s Tern

By Mia McPherson|August 12th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: adult, eye contact, flight, flying, food, foraged, Forster's Tern, hovering, hunting, pond, Sterna forsteri, tern, terns, wetlands|

Last week I photographed this adult Forster's Tern in flight as it foraged for food above Glover Pond near Farmington Bay WMA.

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Western Kingbird up close, almost too close!

By Mia McPherson|June 14th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: adult, close up, desert, flight, flycatcher, flycatchers, flying, hovering, island, kingbird, kingbirds, Tyrannus verticalis, Western Kingbird|

Three days ago I was caught off guard when this Western Kingbird flew in and hovered up close to me, almost too close actually.

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Calliope Hummingbird and Rocky Mountain Bee Plant

By Mia McPherson|October 23rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Calliope Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: bird photography, birding, Davis County, feeding, hovering, migration, photography, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Stellula calliope, wildflower|

Just a quick post this morning of a tiny Calliope Hummingbird feeding on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant that I photographed at the end of August.

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Pretty in Pink – Black-chinned Hummingbird

By Mia McPherson|September 21st, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Cleomella serrulata, desert, female, flight, flying, hovering, hummingbird, hummingbirds, island, pink wildflowers, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, wildflowers|

Well, I made it through another week. Bird photography has been slow down here in the valley but there are signs migration is picking up. There was a decided nip to the air yesterday morning and I saw some frost on the ground while heading towards Antelope Island.

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Hovering American Kestrel

By Mia McPherson|June 2nd, 2013|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, birds of prey, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, flight, flying, hover, hovering, hunting, kestrel, kestrels, male, sky|

Hovering Kestrel shots aren't easy to capture without baiting or using decoys, part of that is because I can't tell when a kestrel might get it in its mind to hover for prey, the other part is being in the right place at the right time.

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Franklin’s Gulls ~ Feeding Frenzy

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Franklin's Gulls, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, feeding, feeding frenzy, flight, flying, foraging, Franklin's Gull, gull, gulls, hovering, Leucophaeus pipixcan, spring, valley, wet meadow|

Last year while I was camping and photographing at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I saw a feeding frenzy that involved Franklin's and California Gulls in the flooded grasses and Sagebrush flats near the Lower Lake.

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Rough-legged Hawk Kiting, Being Bit and Eating on the Fly

By Mia McPherson|January 19th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, eating, eating in flight, flight, flying, goofy, Great Salt Lake, hawks, Hawks of Utah, hovering, immature, kiting, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, vole, young|

These images are from an afternoon just like that when I happened to find and point out a lovely Rough-legged Hawk on a breezy day.

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Northern Harrier in Low Light

By Mia McPherson|May 16th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: bird ID, bird photography, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, falling snow, flight, fog, harrier, harriers, hawks, hovering, inversion, low light, Marsh hawk, marshes, Northern Harrier, raptors, snow, Wasatch Mountains, winter|

I don't mind the motion blur in these images and because northern harriers hunt by looking down at the ground for their prey I was very happy to get eye contact in both frames.

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Nesting Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|May 7th, 2011|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, female, flight, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hen Harrier, hovering, landing, marsh, Marsh hawk, marshes, nest, nesting, nesting material, Northern Harrier, wetlands|

Tt was the first time that I have ever seen a Northern Harrier building a nest. It more than made my day!

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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".

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