larks – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Birds and Mammals from the past week

By Mia McPherson|November 7th, 2012|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, Horned Larks, Pronghorn, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: adult, American Bison, Antilocapra americana, bird of prey, birding, birds, Bubo virginianus, buck, buffalo, bull, Canis latrans, Coyote, Eremophila alpestris, Great Horned Owl, Horned Lark, lark, larks, nature photography, owl, owls, Pronghorn, Pronghorn Antelope, raptor, sparrow, sparrows, White-crowned Sparrow, wildlife photography, young, Zonotrichia leucophrys|

Just a few images from this past week.

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Horned Lark on a Poopy Perch

By Mia McPherson|October 5th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: adult, bison poop, Eremophila alpestris, grasslands, Horned Lark, lark, larks, male, perch, perched|

Most of the Horned Larks I photograph are perched on rocks or boulders, this one is perched on a dried pile of Bison poop. Some might think this is a crappy perch and they would be right!

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Birds on Poopy Perches

By Mia McPherson|May 26th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Horned Larks, Humor, Long-billed Curlews, Utah, Willets|Tags: bird photography, bison poop, curlew, curlews, Eremophila alpestris, Horned Lark, humor, lark, larks, Long-billed Curlew, manure, Numenius americanus, perch, poopy, poopy perches, Tringa semipalmata, Willet|

I bet you are wondering what I mean by "Poopy perches", I know I would be if I saw that title. Am I talking about perches that are man-made and ugly? Or perches that are just not all that appealing visually?

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Feathers & Fur

By Mia McPherson|March 13th, 2012|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Horned Larks, Loggerhead Shrikes, Pronghorn, Tooele County, West Desert|Tags: antelope, Antilocapra americana, bird photography, birding, birds, Canis latrans, Coyote, Eremophila alpestris, Horned Lark, Lanius ludovicianus, lark, larks, nature photography, Pronghorn, Tooele County, Utah, west desert, wildlife photography|

Today I thought I would post a few images taken this past week from Antelope Island State Park and the west desert in Tooele County. Feathers & Fur.

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Female Horned Lark and a Long-tailed Duck ~ Friday Photos

By Mia McPherson|March 2nd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: bird photography, Clangula hyemalis, desert island, duck, ducks, Eremophila alpestris, female, fluttering, Horned Lark, hypersaline lake, lark, larks, Long-tailed Duck, sea duck, sunflower, winter|

It snowed last night and the ground here was covered in white but the clouds were disappearing so off I went to photograph whatever I might find on Antelope Island State Park.

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The West Desert of Utah

By Mia McPherson|February 29th, 2012|Categories: Horned Larks, Pronghorn, Red-tailed Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: Antilocapra americana, bird photography, birding, birds, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Cathartes aura, desert, desert flats, Eremophila alpestris, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, Horned Lark, lark, larks, mountains, nature, Pronghorn, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, Stansbury Mountains, Turkey Vulture, Utah, vulture, vultures, west desert, wildlife photography|

I am one of those people who love deserts and the West Desert of Utah is once again beckoning to me. The weather here in Utah is very changeable right now, it can feel like spring one day and the next it still feels like winter but it won't be long before the weather levels out and the west desert will begin to green up.

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Horned Lark eating sunflower seeds

By Mia McPherson|February 21st, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: adult, eating, Eremophila alpestris, Horned Lark, lark, larks, low light, male, seeds, sunflower seeds, wild sunflower, wildflowers, yellow wildflowers|

Yesterday I was delighted to be able to photograph this male Horned Lark perched high on dried sunflower seed heads as it ate.

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Friday Photos ~ Horned Lark and Western Meadowlark

By Mia McPherson|January 13th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: back view, Eremophila alpestris, Horned Lark, lark, larks, male, meadowlark, meadowlarks, perched, rabbitbrush, rock, Sturnella neglecta, Western Meadowlark|

Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks are birds that I enjoy photographing all year long in Utah and yesterday they gave me some wonderful opportunities.

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Prolonged male Horned Lark preening session

By Mia McPherson|October 10th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: adult, bird photography, boulder, Eremophila alpestris, grooming, Horned Lark, lark, larks, male, perching birds, preening, stretching|

Yesterday I came across this very cooperative male Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris). This male bird preened for a full seven minutes and I took 256 images of it.

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Antelope Island gnats are back

By Mia McPherson|May 9th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Horned Larks, Mule Deer, Utah, Willets|Tags: biting gnats, Eremophila alpestris, gnats, Horned Lark, lark, larks, Mule Deer, no-see-ums, Odocoileus hemionus, Tringa semipalmata, wildlife, Willet|

I hereby put the millions of biting gnats on Antelope Island on notice: No matter how many times you break through my insect repellent shield, I am still going to photograph birds on Antelope Island.

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Horned Larks

By Mia McPherson|February 14th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Horned Larks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: desert, Eremophila alpestris, female, Great Basin, ground foragers, Horned Lark, lark, larks, male, open country, perched, Shore Lark, singing|

Yesterday was awesome for Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) in Tooele County, Utah.

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