photograph – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Photographing Lark Sparrows on Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|May 25th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Lark Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, biting gnats, boulder, Chondestes grammacus, facial patterns, Lark Sparrow, perched, perky, photograph, photographing, resting, sky, sparrow, sparrows, Tintic Quartzite|

Lark Sparrows are only in Utah during their breeding season so whenever I have the opportunity to photograph them and their bold facial patterns I am thoroughly delighted.

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Photographing Swainson’s Hawks in Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|April 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo swainsoni, Buteos, casting, close up, dark morph, expelling, fence post, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, light morph, Locust Hawks, male, pellet, perched, photograph, photographing, sub-adult, Swainson's Hawk, wooden post|

Yesterday morning in northern Utah I saw about a dozen Swainson's Hawks in about 2.25 miles, some were perched, some were in flight and all of them were wonderful to photograph.

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Photographing Chukars on Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|March 18th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: Alectoris chukar, Chukar, chukars, close up, green grasses, knob, male, photograph, photographing, portrait, preening, rock, spring, spur, upland terrestrial birds, watchful|

Yesterday morning I was able to spend time photographing a pair of Chukars on Antelope Island State Park in a grassy area that has begun to turn green.

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Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|February 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, hen, icy water, kleptoparasites, Kleptoparasitism, male, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, photograph, photographing, swimming, take off, wing flap, winter|

I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.

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Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|January 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, drying, hawks, Hawks of Utah, nest box, perched, photograph, photographing, raptors, red-tailed, Red-tailed Hawk, snow, sub-adult, Wasatch Mountain Range, winter, yawning|

Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.

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Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks – Photographing Raptors Near Interstates

By Mia McPherson|December 1st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, hawks, Hawks of Idaho, I-15, immature, Interstate, juveniles, perched, photograph, photographing, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, young|

There are natural perches along the access roads right next to the interstate and if I am lucky I can find raptors perched there on occasion too.

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Fun Photographing a Male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|November 23rd, 2016|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Belted Kingfisher, fish, fun, kingfisher, kingfishers, lift off, male, Megaceryle alcyon, open water, photograph, photographing, post, prey, winter|

I had fun photographing a male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay as he caught prey and ate it on a post near a little creek.

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Photographing Short-eared Owls – From Chicks to Adults

By Mia McPherson|October 26th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, chicks, female, fledglings, grasses, gular pouch, gular sac, juvenile, male, owl, owls, perched, photograph, photographing, Short-eared Owl, wing lift|

This year was exceptional for photographing Short-eared Owls in Utah, Idaho and Montana and being able to see them in all the stages of their growth.

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Photographing Pelicans, Herons, Egrets and Geese in Flight in Rapidly Changing Light

By Mia McPherson|August 8th, 2016|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: American White Pelican, Ardea herodias, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, changing light, clouds, egret, egrets, Egretta thula, flight, flying, geese, goose, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, photograph, photographing, Promontory Mountains, shadows, Snowy Egret|

I had a great deal of fun photographing the pelicans, herons, egrets and geese in flight in the rapidly changing light yesterday morning at Bear River MBR.

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Celebrating Seven Years in Utah – Photographing Birds, Wildlife and Scenery

By Mia McPherson|July 10th, 2016|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Daggett County, Davis County, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Kane County, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Short-eared Owls, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: American Bison, Asio flammeus, battle, Centrocercus urophasianus, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, lek, male, owls, photograph, photographing, Short-eared Owl, upland terrestrial birds, white wildflowers, wildflowers|

My journey in life has taken me to many places and I'm glad that it brought me to Utah where I am enjoying photographing birds, wildlife and scenery. Seven years ago today.

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The Advantages of Photographing Birds Close to Home

By Mia McPherson|February 18th, 2014|Categories: American Coots, American White Pelicans, Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Coot, American White Pelican, Aythya collaris, close to home, coots, ducks, Fulica americana, grebes, mergansers, Mergus serrator, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelicans, photograph, photographing, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-necked Duck|

Many beginning photographers dream of taking images in far off places of exotic birds and there is nothing wrong with that. But we shouldn’t overlook the advantages of photographing birds close to home.

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Photographing Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 4th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, flight, flying, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, juvenile, landing, lift off, photograph, photographing, raptors, red tail, Red-tailed Hawk, shadow|

These are a just few images that I have edited taken since August of Red-tailed Hawk juveniles on Antelope Island State Park.

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Weird things I see while out photographing birds

By Mia McPherson|April 17th, 2012|Categories: Box Elder County, Locomotive Springs|Tags: airplane, bird photography, Locomotive Springs, photograph, photographing, Utah|

It is really odd to see a plane on the road to the campsite when you are way out in the boonies and there isn't an airport in sight for miles.

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