portrait – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Canada Goose In Flight – My First Bird Sighting Of 2022

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, close up, eye, flight, flying, geese, goose, landing, mountains, portrait, skimming, small in frame, snow, snowy, staring, tree, urban, Wasatch Mountains, water, waterfowl, winter|

The first bird that I could positively identify seeing for 2022 was a Canada Goose flying away from my local pond yesterday morning.

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Male Rough-legged Hawk – The First Bird I Photographed in 2021

By Mia McPherson|December 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, close up, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, male, marsh, portrait, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, wetlands, winter|

The first bird I photographed in 2021 was this adult male Rough-legged Hawk perched above the wetlands at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Christmas Day Birds 2021

By Mia McPherson|December 26th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Common Goldeneyes, Great Blue Herons, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea herodias, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Buteo lagopus, California Gull, calling, Christmas, Christmas Day, close up, Common Goldeneye, coot, coots, crawdad, crayfish, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eating, female, first winter, flight, flying, foraging, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, grass, gray sky, Great Blue Heron, Great-tailed Grackle, gull, gulls, hawk, hawks, heron, herons, hovering, Icterids, immature, Larus californicus, low light, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, open bill, pond, portrait, Quiscalus mexicanus, rails, Rough-legged Hawk, splashing, urban, wading birds, water, water droplets, wetlands, winter, young|

I did get out to find and photograph birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA and then later in the morning I found more closer to home.

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Happy Winter Solstice 2021!

By Mia McPherson|December 21st, 2021|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, close up, crabapple, foraging, fruit, Malus, Northern Hemisphere, portrait, robin, robins, sky, snow, Solstice, thrush, thrushes, Turdus migratorius, urban, winter, Yuletide|

Happy Solstice and Yuletide! Hello Winter! Happy return to the light!

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Focusing On Fall Wild Turkey Tom Photos

By Mia McPherson|November 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Wild Turkeys|Tags: adult, autumn, behavior, close up, desert, displaying, face off, facing off, fall, male, Meleagris gallopavo, portrait, ranchlands, tom, turkey, turkeys, upland terrestrial birds, Wild Turkey|

Yesterday morning the first birds I focused on taking photos of were Wild Turkey toms as they displayed for each other on desert ranchlands in northern Utah.

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Immature Black-billed Magpie Portrait At Sunrise

By Mia McPherson|November 9th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: autumn, Black-billed Magpie, close up, corvids, desert island, fall, hatch year, immature, iris, magpie, magpies, Pica hudsonia, portrait, sunrise, young|

I was looking through my archives yesterday when I came across this immature Black-billed Magpie portrait taken at sunrise on Antelope Island State Park.

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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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Autumn Wild Turkey Hen Portrait

By Mia McPherson|October 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: Acer negundo, autumn, Box Elder, canyon, close up, fall, fall colors, female, hen, Meleagris gallopavo, mountains, portrait, shadows, Stansbury Mountains, turkey, turkeys, upland terrestrial birds, Wild Turkey|

I found this Wild Turkey hen last autumn as she walked out of the shadows of the forest and into the bright morning light.

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Young Red Fox In A Meadow

By Mia McPherson|August 3rd, 2021|Categories: Morgan County, Red Foxes, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: alpine meadow, canyon, close up, forest edge, fox, foxes, grasses, immature, meadow, mountains, portrait, Red Fox, summer, Vulpes vulpes, young|

One year ago this morning I had a relaxing experience photographing a young Red Fox in an alpine meadow high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Adult American Robin Portrait – Photos Can Transport Us To Another Place And Time

By Mia McPherson|June 27th, 2021|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, American Robin, canyon, close up, forest, mountains, portrait, robin, robins, summer, thrush, thrushes, Turdus migratorius|

One of the birds I photographed on the June morning was this American Robin that was so close to me that I opted to take portraits of it.

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Spring Black-crowned Night Heron Butt Shot

By Mia McPherson|May 5th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-crowned Night Heron, butt shot, close up, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, phragmites, phrags, portrait, reflections, wading birds, water, wetlands, winter|

Some photos just make me laugh and this spring Black-crowned Night Heron butt shot image does just that.

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Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Portrait

By Mia McPherson|April 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Swainson's Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, Buteo swainsoni, Buteos, close up, dark moprh, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, migration, portrait, ranchlands, raptors, spring, Swainson's Hawk|

I have shared photos of this gorgeous dark morph Swainson's Hawk before and since today is the four year anniversary of me finding it I thought I would share one more.

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Spring Male Ring-necked Pheasant Portraits

By Mia McPherson|April 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, early morning light, farm, male, Phasianus colchicus, pheasant, pheasants, portrait, ranch, Ring-necked Pheasant, spring, upland terrestrial birds, valley|

I was tickled to be able to take a nice series of male Ring-necked Pheasant portraits yesterday morning in early morning light in Box Elder County, Utah.

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Spring Sage Thrasher Portrait

By Mia McPherson|April 2nd, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, early morning light, mimids, Oreoscoptes montanus, portrait, Sage Thrasher, spring, thrasher, thrashers|

The second bird I photographed yesterday morning on Antelope Island State Park was an adult Sage Thrasher in gorgeous early morning light.

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Finding Greater Sage-Grouse Away From Their Leks

By Mia McPherson|March 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Dixie National Forest, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquarius Plateau, Centrocercus urophasianus, close up, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, habitat, lek, male, portrait, sage-grouse, sagebrush steppe, spring, upland terrestrial birds|

Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn't easy. It takes sharp eyes, keen observation skills, plus knowing what to look for.

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Winter American Coot Portraits

By Mia McPherson|February 18th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, close up, coot, coots, Fulica americana, pond, portrait, snow, snowy, winter|

After an extremely snowy night and morning I was able to get out yesterday afternoon and take some wintry American Coot portraits close to home.

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Snowy Spotted Towhee Portrait

By Mia McPherson|February 15th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Towhees, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, male, Pipilo maculatus, portrait, snow, snowy, sparrow, sparrows, Spotted Towhee, towhee, towhees, urban, winter|

There was about 2 1/2 inches of white stuff on the ground yesterday morning which allowed me to take this snowy Spotted Towhee portrait close to home.

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Golden Eagle Flying Over A Hill On Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|February 9th, 2021|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, American Bison, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, Bison, Bison bison, buffalo, bull, close up, clouds, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, grass, grasses, Great Salt Lake, hill, lake, male, portrait, raptors, sky, water, winter|

It has been a couple of years since I have found a Golden Eagle on Antelope Island so when I spotted an adult on a grassy hill yesterday I was excited.

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It’s Superb Owl Sunday!

By Mia McPherson|February 7th, 2021|Categories: American Barn Owls, Birds, Great Horned Owls, Short-eared Owls|Tags: adult, American Barn Owl, Asio flammeus, Athene cunicularia, autumn, birds of prey, Bubo virginianus, Burrowing Owl, close up, desert, fledgling, flight, Great Horned Owl, immature, juvenile, lift off, marshes, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, perched, portrait, raptors, Short-eared Owl, snow, Tamarisk, Tyto furcata, white out, winter, young|

It is Superb Owl Sunday so I wanted to share four of the owls that I see most frequently. Barn, Burrowing, Great Horned and Short-eared Owls are the owls that I photograph most often here in northern Utah.

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Canada Goose Portrait

By Mia McPherson|January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, close up, geese, goose, pond, portrait, relaxed, resting, waterfowl, winter|

Today I wanted to share this simple Canada Goose portrait. I took this portrait three years ago today at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.

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Photographing Winter Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 15th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Bald Eagles, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Canvasbacks, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya americana, Aythya valisineria, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Black-crowned Night Heron, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Canvasback, chase, close up, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, dicks, displaying, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eagle, eagles, female, fight, fighting, first winter, flight, flying, food, frisky, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, grebe, grebes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, heron, herons, immature, male, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, portrait, prey, Quiscalus mexicanus, raptors, Redhead, redheads, swimming, wading birds, water, waterfowl, weather loach, winter, young|

I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing winter birds at Farmington Bay WMA and closer to home in the morning and afternoon.

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Winter American Herring Gulls In Utah

By Mia McPherson|January 3rd, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, close up, flight, flying, gull, gulls, immature, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, portrait, sky, subadult, water, winter, young|

Winter Herring Gulls have arrived in northern Utah and I am excited that I will have opportunities to photograph this gull species again.

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Immature Great Blue Heron On Christmas Day

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: Ardea herodias, Christmas Day, close up, field, first winter, foraging, grass, grasses, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, immature, portrait, rookery, wading birds, winter, young|

One of my Christmas Day gifts from Mother Nature was the chance to photograph an immature Great Blue Heron in a field.

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Five Bird Photos From Christmas Day 2020

By Mia McPherson|December 26th, 2020|Categories: American Kestrels, Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, Ardea herodias, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, branches, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, Christmas Day, close up, eagle, eales, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Falcons of Utah, field, first winter, Great Blue Heron, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, heron, herons, immature, lift off, lifting off, male, marsh, mountains, perched, pole, portrait, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, sky, take off, taking off, tree, wading birds, wooden post, young|

Much to my delight I was able to photograph some birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning.

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Christmas Day Bird Photos Thru The Years

By Mia McPherson|December 25th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Golden Eagles, Long-eared Owls, Pied-billed Grebes, Pinellas County, Red-tailed Hawks, Roseate Spoonbills, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, Christmas Day, close up, Common Merganser, crayfish, eagle, eagles, first year, foggy, Golden Eagle, grebes, haek, hawks, immature, landing Bear River, Long-eared Owl, oel, owls, Pied-billed Grebe, portrait, Red-tailed Hawk, Roseate Spoonbill, snow, snow storm, snowy, spoonbill, wading birds, winter, young|

Today I wanted to share some of the Christmas Day bird photos I have taken through the years out in the field and close to home.

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Females And First Winter Male Hooded Mergansers

By Mia McPherson|December 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, Davis County, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, Farmington Bay WMA, female, first winter, Formative Plumage, hen, Hooded Merganser, ice, icy, immature, Lophodytes cucullatus, male, merganser, mergansers, pond, portrait, preening, Utah, water, waterfowl, winter, young|

All three of the Hooded Mergansers were close to me because there was a shelf of ice that prevented them from swimming out into the middle of the pond.

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Adult Male Belted Kingfisher Close Up With Prey

By Mia McPherson|November 15th, 2020|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Belted Kingfisher, canyon, close up, fiish, food, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, mountains, portrait, prey, trout|

I was looking through images I had taken this summer and decided to share a close up of a male Belted Kingfisher with prey that I photographed in the Wasatch Mountains this summer.

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Winter Has Arrived Along With Many Opportunities To Photograph Birds

By Mia McPherson|November 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Mergansers, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bucephala clangula, close up, Common Goldeneye, diving duck, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, evening light, flight, fly by, flying, goldeneye, goldeneyes, gull, gulls, Hooded Merganser, Larus delawarensis, Lophodytes cucullatus, male, merganser, mergansers, pond, portrait, Ring-billed Gull, snow, snow storm, snowflakes, snowstorm, sunset, waterfowl, winter|

When the weather turns colder, the clouds gather, and the snow falls I still have plenty of birds to photograph here in northern Utah.

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An Eye For National Bison Day 2020

By Mia McPherson|November 7th, 2020|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Bison, Bison, Bison bison, buffalo, bull, close up, eating, eye, grasslands, grazing, horn, mammals, portrait, prairies, snow|

Today bison are being reintroduced to lands that they were extirpated from centuries ago and for bison lovers that is cause for celebration of this iconic mammal.

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Calling American Coot Adult Portrait

By Mia McPherson|October 26th, 2020|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, calling, close up, coot, coots, Fulica americana, open bill, park, pond, portrait, urban, winter|

This adult American Coot may look like it is screaming but in reality it is simply calling out because another bird got close to it next to the shoreline of a small pond.

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