recording – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

American Robin – A Dawn Song Recording

By Mia McPherson|March 15th, 2025|Categories: American Robins, Arkansas, Birds, Salt Lake County, Sebastian County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, dawn song, grass, park, recording, robin, robins, Salt Lake County, spring, thrush, thrushes, Turdus migratorius, urban, Utah, Willow Pond|

This time of year, American Robins start to sing their dawn song about an hour before sunrise. Not just one American Robin—all of them in the neighborhood.

2

Late Winter Song Sparrow Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|March 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, Melospiza melodia, park, perched, recording, rushes, sing, song, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, urban, winter|

When I photographed this Song Sparrow close to home two days ago it perched out in the open for almost a minute on the cool, late winter morning.

7

European Starling – My First Of Year Bird 2021

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, bill, bill color, breeding plumage, calls, European Starling, in between, nonbreeding, pond, recording, starling, starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, water, winter, winter plumage|

The first bird I saw in 2021 was a European Starling perched on a power line on the road to my local grocery store about 8:15 am yesterday morning.

6

Cedar Waxwings Plus A Singing Mystery Bird Revealed

By Mia McPherson|July 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Video, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, alert, Black twinberry honeysuckle, Bombycilla cedrorum, canyon, Catharus ustulatus, Cedar Waxwing, close up, honeysuckle, honeysuckles, Lonicera involucrata, Morgan County, mountains, mystery, perched, portrait, recording, song, Swainson's Thrush, video, waxwing, waxwings|

As soon as I stopped my Jeep two Cedar Waxwings popped into view. The waxwings were close so I took portraits of them perched among the honeysuckles.

8

First Of Season Male Yellow Warbler Photo

By Mia McPherson|May 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, canyon, chasing, male, migrant, migration, mountains, recording, Setophaga petechia, song, spring, territories, tucked, warbler, warblers, willows, Yellow Warbler|

Three days ago I was able to take my first of season Yellow Warbler photos when a male came up close to where I sat in my Jeep in a high mountain canyon.

5

Green-tailed Towhees Are Migrating Into Utah

By Mia McPherson|May 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: frustrations in bird photography, Green-tailed Towhee, light angle, male, obstructions, out of focus, Pipilo chlorurus, recording, sage, sagebrush, singing, sparrow, sparrows, towhee, towhees|

One year ago today I "whooped" out loud when I spotted my first of the year Green-tailed Towhee singing as he perched in top of a sagebrush.

6

Vesper Sparrows In Spring

By Mia McPherson|April 28th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: adult, early light, early morning light, grasses, grasslands, Poocetes gramineus, recording, rock, singing, song, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Vesper Sparrow, white rock|

Earlier this month I spotted my first of year Vesper Sparrow way up north in Box Elder County and since then I have been looking for them closer to home in the Wasatch Mountains.

5

Red-breasted Nuthatch And Juniper Titmouse Photos

By Mia McPherson|April 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Juniper Titmouses, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Baeolophus ridgwayi, call, clouds, cone, cones, conifer, Douglas fir, early morning light, evergreen, fir, firs, juniper, Juniper Titmouse, male, morning, nuthatch, nuthatches, perched, Pseudotsuga menziesii, recording, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis, sky, spring, titmice, titmouse, titmouses|

These are the stories behind how I took these Red-breasted Nuthatch and Juniper Titmouse photos while relaxing and enjoying a lovely day in the West Desert.

6

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Portraits

By Mia McPherson|May 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: adult, blackbird, blackbirds, call, close up, male, marsh, portrait, recording, song, vocal array, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, Yellow-headed Blackbird|

I was surprised yesterday to be able to take portraits of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds because they normally fly away from me instead of flying towards me.

7

Spring Songs – Savannah Sparrows

By Mia McPherson|March 20th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Savannah Sparrows|Tags: adult, fence railing, green, Passerculus sandwichensis, recording, Savannah Sparrow, singing, song, songs, sparrow, sparrows, spring|

On my last two trips up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I have heard Savannah Sparrows singing "sit sit sit sit suh-EEEEE say" from somewhere in the marshes.

8

Male Cassin’s Finch in Clark County, Idaho

By Mia McPherson|June 18th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Clark County, Idaho, Targhee National Forest|Tags: adult, alert, breeding plumage, call, Cassin's Finch, conifer, finch, finches, forest, Haemorhous cassinii, male, perched, recording, song|

At times the male Cassin's Finch looked like he was on alert but I can't be sure why, it might have been because of the other finches nearby or that he was keeping an eye out for predators in the sky.

8

Lark Sparrow Facts

By Mia McPherson|April 26th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Lark Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding range, Chondestes grammacus, desert, facts, harlequin pattern, island, Lark Sparrow, rabbitbrush, recording, song, sparrow, sparrows, spring|

I thought I would share a few Lark Sparrow facts, a sound recording and of course an image of a Lark Sparrow on the ground.

7