Long-billed Curlew – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Candlestick Birds – Long-billed Curlews

By Mia McPherson|June 1st, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: adult, Cheatgrass, curlew, curlews, Davis County, desert island, grass, grasses, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, spring|

I've been enjoying seeing Long-billed Curlews for several weeks now in northern Utah. These large shorebirds birds are also called "Candlestick birds" and "Sickle Birds" because of their long bills.

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Simple Long-billed Curlew Post

By Mia McPherson|April 20th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, curlew, curlews, desert island, grasses, lift off, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, spring|

This is just a simple Long-billed Curlew post with images I took not long before I discovered the Mountain Plovers on April 10th on Antelope Island State Park.

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A Few Bird Images From This Past Week

By Mia McPherson|April 13th, 2013|Categories: American Avocets, Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Great Egrets, Long-billed Curlews, Mountain Plovers, Rarities, Utah|Tags: American Avocet, Anarhynchus montanus, Ardea alba, avocet, avocets, curlew, curlews, egrets, Great Egret, Long-billed Curlew, Mountain Plover, Numenius americanus, plover, plovers, rare, rarity, Recurvirostra americana, shorebirds, wading birds|

Even though I only got out to photograph birds three times this week each of the days I did get out were very memorable!

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Male Long-billed Curlew lifting off

By Mia McPherson|April 2nd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: adult, Antelope Island State Park, bird photography, birds, Davis County, lift off, Long-billed Curlew, male, nature, nature photography, Numenius americanus, Utah, wildlife, wildlife photography|

I photographed this male Long-billed Curlew last week as he was starting to lift off.

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Seen and Heard – First of year Long-billed Curlew

By Mia McPherson|March 24th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: bird photography, curlews, first of year, Long-billed Curlew, male, Numenius americanus|

When we stopped at one of the parking lots that overlooked Bridger Bay I heard a call that made me jump in my seat and before I could say "Long-billed Curlew!!" I could see the bird flying towards the grasses.

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Photograph but don’t touch – Wildlife Ethics

By Mia McPherson|March 20th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Red Foxes, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: Antigone canadensis, chick, ethics, immature, juvenile, Long-billed Curlew, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, nature photography, Numenius americanus, Red Fox, red fox kits, Vulpes vulpes, wildlife ethics, wildlife photography|

I do hope that non-photographers and the general public know that behavior like this is an exception and that ethical photographers would not have gone up and petted the Sandhill Cranes.

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Female Long-billed Curlew

By Mia McPherson|February 12th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Long-billed Curlews, Pinellas County, Shorebirds|Tags: adult, beach, bird photography, birds, female, Long-billed Curlew, nature, nature photography, Numenius americanus, open bill, shorebirds, water, wildlife, wildlife photography|

Since I moved to Utah I think of Long-billed Curlews as my personal harbinger of spring.

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Low angle Long-billed Curlew

By Mia McPherson|December 3rd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Low angle|Tags: beach, bird photography, birding, birds, female, Gulf of Mexico, Long-billed Curlew, Low angle, nature photography, Numenius americanus, Pinellas County, sand, sand dune, wildlife photography|

Since winter has thus far decided to stay in more northern latitudes and higher elevations I decided to post an image of a Long-billed Curlew taken in southern, sub-tropical climes a few years ago.

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Curlew on the Rocks

By Mia McPherson|September 23rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: curlew, curlews, Great Salt Lake, juvenile, Long-billed Curlew, nature, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, shoreline, strolling|

This was a life bird for my mother and I am glad she was able to see it strolling among the rocks on the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake while I photographed the curlew last week.

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Calling male Long-billed Curlew

By Mia McPherson|July 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: birds, calling, candlestick bird, curlew, curlews, grasses, Long-billed Curlew, male, Numenius americanus, sicklebird|

I haven't heard a Long-billed Curlew calling for several weeks here in northern Utah and I already miss hearing their calls.

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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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Long-billed Curlew in Cheatgrass

By Mia McPherson|May 19th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: bird photography, birding, birds, Cheatgrass, Long-billed Curlew, male, nature photography, Numenius americanus, Utah, wildlife photography|

Cheatgrass is invasive but I sure think it can be pretty especially with a lovely bird amongst it like this male Long-billed Curlew that I photographed on Antelope Island State Park recently.

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Long-billed Curlews – A Territorial Encounter

By Mia McPherson|April 14th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: Agonistic Behavior, Communicative Interactions, Crouch-Run, curlew, curlews, fighting, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, Supplanting, territorial encounter, Wing-Raising|

Yesterday on Antelope Island State Park I witnessed and photographed a territorial encounter between two Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) males that occurred while a female was nearby.

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Long-billed Curlew Mating Display

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: bill shaking, bird photography, breeding behavior, curlews, Long-billed Curlew, mating behavior, mating display, Numenius americanus, ruffling, sexual behavior|

I had a wonderful photographic opportunity yesterday seeing a Long-billed Curlew mating display on Antelope Island State Park.

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Long-billed Curlews… I heard you!

By Mia McPherson|March 29th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: Antelope Island State Park, bird photography, birding, birds, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, Utah, wildlife photography|

The Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) have returned to their breeding grounds! I would have jumped for joy but when you are inside a vehicle that can lead to a severe headache after hitting your skull on the roof. :-)

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Oh Long-billed Curlew, When Will I Hear You?

By Mia McPherson|March 11th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews|Tags: bird photography, birding, coastal, curlew, curlews, desert island, female, grasslands, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, hunting, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, sandpiper, sandpipers, shorebirds, spring, tidal lagoon, water|

A few days ago I read that a Long-billed Curlew had been spotted on Antelope Island State Park and that got me excited. I've waited to see them again since they left last fall and I simply can not wait to hear their mysterious and hauntingly beautiful call.

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Funny Birds

By Mia McPherson|February 13th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Florida, Long-billed Curlews, Roseate Spoonbills|Tags: American Oystercatcher, bird photography, birding, birds, Florida, funny, goofy, Haematopus palliatus, humor, Long-billed Curlew, nature, Numenius americanus, Platalea ajaja, Roseate Spoonbill, wildlife|

I'm always looking for great action or interesting poses when I am out photographing birds and usually I am not disappointed and once in awhile I get some very funny images. Mondays just seem like a great day for some humor.

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Shorebirds: Long-billed Curlew juvenile

By Mia McPherson|July 3rd, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: chick, close up, closeup, curlew, curlews, fledgling, grasses, head shot, immature, juvenile, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, portrait, shorebirds, young|

Sometimes I just feel so lucky being a bird photographer. Not only do I get to be outside in nature when I am photographing, but I get nice surprises too like when this Long-billed Curlew juvenile approached near enough to get head shots of it.

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Friday Photos – Long-billed Curlews

By Mia McPherson|July 1st, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Long-billed Curlews, Utah|Tags: adult, adult plumage, bird photography, boulder, chick, curlews, flight, flying, foraging, immature, juvenile, landing, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, shorebirds, wing lift|

The juvenile Long-billed Curlew was foraging and preening in the vegetation on the ground below the adult perched on the boulder

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Antelope Island State Park – Spring’s Awakening

By Mia McPherson|April 23rd, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Loggerhead Shrikes, Long-billed Curlews, Pronghorn, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: Antilocapra americana, bird photography, biting gnats, Canis latrans, Coyote, Davis County, Frary's Peak, Gray's Biscuitroot, Great Salt Lake, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, Pronghorn, spring|

I've spent a few days out on Antelope Island State Park this past week and from all appearances spring is making its debut.

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Coming Soon to a view near U(tah)

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2011|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Antelope Island State Park, Double-crested Cormorants, Loggerhead Shrikes, Long-billed Curlews, Salt Lake County, Sandhill Cranes, Utah|Tags: American Avocet, American White Pelican, Antigone canadensis, avocets, cormorants, cranes, curlews, Double-crested Cormorant, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, Long-billed Curlew, Nannopterum auritus, Numenius americanus, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelicans, Recurvirostra americana, Sandhill Crane, shrikes, spring previews, spring time|

These are just a small selection of the cast and characters of the upcoming Spring Season

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