mobile blind – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Yellow-bellied Marmot Pup In A Crack In Some Rocks

By Mia McPherson|April 4th, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: baby, crack, crevice, desert, lichen, lichen covered, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, mobile blind, pup, rock, rocks, shelter, spring, wildlife ethics, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

I was delighted to find and photograph a Yellow-bellied Marmot pup peeking out of a crack in some lichen-covered rocks on the 1st of April in northern Utah.

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White-faced Ibis Close Up

By Mia McPherson|October 21st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: adult, autumn, close up, fall, ibis, ibises, marsh, migratory, mobile blind, nonbreeding plumage, Plegadis chihi, portrait, red eyes, wading birds, water, wetlands, White-faced Ibis|

I'd almost forgotten about this White-faced Ibis close up photo that I took at the end of last month in the wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA.

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Photographing Willow Flycatchers

By Mia McPherson|April 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: adult, approach, calls, canyon, close up, Empidonax traillii, Empids, favorite perch, flycatcher, flycatchers, habitat, hawthorn, listen, locate, mobile blind, mountains, photographing, resting, riparian habitat, tips, tyrant flycatchers, Willow Flycatcher, willows|

Once I'm in Willow Flycatcher habitat the next thing I do is to listen for them. I often hear Willow Flycatchers before I see them because they can blend into their habitat well.

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It’s Nesting Season For Marsh Wrens In Utah

By Mia McPherson|March 26th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Marsh Wrens, Nesting Birds, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: adult, breeding season, cattails, Cistothorus palustris, male, marsh, Marsh Wren, mobile blind, nesting, nesting behavior, nesting birds, nesting ethics, nesting season, perched, spring, wren, wrens|

By using a vehicle as a mobile blind I was able to photograph the wrens as they sang, searched for nesting materials, defended their breeding territories and built their nests from a distance.

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I Swear I heard A Willet Calling Two Days Ago

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Willets|Tags: adult, alert, call, grasses, grasslands, mobile blind, shorebirds, spring, Tringa semipalmata, Tringa semipalmata inornata, Western Willet, white rock, Willet, willets|

While looking for Sage Thrashers to photograph on Antelope Island two days ago I swear I heard a Willet call. It was just one distant call but my ears perked up right away.

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Differences in Photographing Greater Yellowlegs in Florida and Utah

By Mia McPherson|October 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Greater Yellowlegs, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: adult, coast, coastal, Greater Yellowlegs, handheld, lagoon, Low angle, marsh, mobile blind, photograph, photographing, restful, shallow water, shore, shorebird, shorebirds, shoreline, spit, Tringa melanoleuca, walking, wetlands, yellowlegs|

There are big differences in the ways I photograph Greater Yellowlegs here in Utah than there were when I photographed them in Florida.

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Landing Drake Mallard

By Mia McPherson|August 24th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, blue sky, drake, duck, ducks, flight, flying, landing, male, Mallard, mallards, mobile blind, sky, urban, waterfowl, winter|

I don't often have the opportunity of taking photos of ducks that are flying straight at me while coming in for a landing which is exactly what this drake mallard did.

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Two Months of Photographing a Cooperative Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|May 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, cooperative, fence post, First Spring, frame filling, harrier, harriers, hatched, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, male, Marsh hawk, mobile blind, molt, Northern Harrier, perched, photographing, plumage, post, preen, primaries, raptors, secondaries, spring, tame, wooden post, young|

There was a very cooperative first spring male Northern Harrier in a location where I photographed Short-eared Owls last year in northern Utah and for two months I could reliably see and photograph it frequently.

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Juvenile Northern Harrier perched on a post

By Mia McPherson|November 23rd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, Goose Egg Island, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, immature, juvenile, marsh, mobile blind, Northern Harrier, perched, post, wetlands, winter, wooden post|

I photographed this juvenile Northern Harrier as it perched on a post near Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay.

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Nesting time for Black-billed Magpies

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-billed Magpie, cold wind, flight, flying, lift off, lifting off, magpie, magpies, mobile blind, nest building, nesting, nesting material, nesting season, nesting time, Pica hudsonia, twig|

There was a sharp, cold wind blowing from the north yesterday and before I was finished photographing these Black-billed Magpies my hands had gone numb.

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One Fearless Sage Thrasher

By Mia McPherson|April 7th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: adult, desert island, fearless, mobile blind, nature, Oreoscoptes montanus, road, Sage Thrasher, scurry, skittish, summer, thrasher, thrashers|

This past week I have seen a few Sage Thrashers on Antelope Island State Park and although none of them were close enough to photograph I know it won't be long before I will be able to create new images of them.

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Using My “Noodle” for Bird & Animal Photography

By Mia McPherson|June 30th, 2011|Categories: Styles & Methods, Using a Noodle|Tags: bean bag, beanbag, bird photography, birds, duct tape, inexpensive, lens protection, lens rest, lens support, mobile blind, nature photography, photographic method, photography aid, pool noodle, using a noodle, wildlife photography, window, window mounted|

The process of making a Noodle to use as a window mounted photographic aid when using a vehicle as a mobile blind. Now that is using my Noodle!

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Friday Photos: A Friendly Swainson’s Hawk

By Mia McPherson|June 3rd, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Portraits, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, Antelope Island State Park, bird ID, Buteo swainsoni, close up, Great Salt Lake, hawk, hawks, mobile blind, perched, portrait, preening, raptor, sign, speed limit sign, Swainson's Hawk, water|

Last Friday I came upon this Swainson's Hawk; not just once but twice, perched on signs very close to the road.

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