rock – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Carolina Wren Photos: Conquering A Nemesis

By Mia McPherson|July 19th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Carolina Wrens, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, alert, Arkansas, branch, Carolina Wren, crouching, foraging, garden, nemesis, perched, rock, Sebastian County, summer, Thryothorus ludovicianus, urban, vine, wren, wrens, yard|

Who knew that I'd be taking Carolina Wren photos yesterday? I didn't, even though I've been seeing or hearing them daily here. They have just been too skittish.

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Simply A Duck On A Rock

By Mia McPherson|January 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, grasses, male, Mallard, mallards, pond, rock, snow, urban, winter|

I headed down to my neighborhood ponds yesterday morning while there was some sunshine and my favorite image of the day was simply a duck on a rock.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, American Kestrel, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, background, berries, Bewick's Swan, bill, birds of prey, Black-billed Magpie, blooming, blooms, blossoms, Bonasa umbellus, boulder, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Bubo virginianus, building, canyon, close up, corvids, Cygnus columbianus, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Davis County, desert, dirt, eagle, eagles, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fall, farmlands, female, fledgling, flight, flock, flowering, flowering shrub, flying, forest edge, fruiting shrub, fruits, fruting shrubs, Golden Eagle, gorget, Great Horned Owl, grebe, grebes, grouse, gull, gulls, Horned Grebe, hummingbird, hummingbirds, immature, juvenile, kestrel, kestrels, Larus delawarensis, lichen, lores, magpie, magpies, male, marsh, mountains, nest, nest box, nesting, nonbreeding plumage, owl, owls, perched, Pica hudsonia, Podiceps auritus, raptors, rare, reflection, Ring-billed Gull, riparian habitat, road, roadside, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Ruffed Grouse, Salpinctes obsoletus, Selasphorus platycercus, serviceberries, serviceberry, Setophaga petechia, shrub, spring, stink-eye, summer, swan, swans, thicket, tree, Tundra Swans, Utah, Utah Serviceberry, vagrant, warbler, warblers, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, wetlands, willow, willow thicket, willows, winter, winter plumage, wood-warbler, wood-warblers, wren, wrens, Yellow Warbler, young|

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

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Some Mammals I Loved In 2022

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2022|Categories: American Badgers, Davis County, Elk, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Least Chipmunks, Long-tailed Weasels, Morgan County, Mule Deer, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, American Badger, autumn, baby, badger, badger burrow, badgers, canyon, Cervus canadensis, chipmunk, chipmunks, close up, cow, curious, cute, Elk, elks, fall, female, fence post, grazing, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, high Uintas, hillside, kissing, Least Chipmunk, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, marsh, mountains, Mustela frenata, mustelids, Neotamias minimus, portrait, profile, roadside, rock, rock pile, rocks, rocky slope, shadow, spring, squirrel, squirrels, summer, summer coat, Taxidea taxus, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wooden post, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

This morning I am sharing some photos of the mammals I loved finding, seeing, photographing and having in my viewfinder in 2022.

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My Fondness For American Pipits

By Mia McPherson|December 2nd, 2022|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, autumn, cold, fall, flats, fondness, morning, old lake bed, pipit, pipits, playa, rock, rocks, staring, walking|

It has been almost exactly one year since I have taken high quality images of American Pipits. I have a fondness for these birds and I have missed them.

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Band-winged and Striped Meadowhawk Dragonfly Photos

By Mia McPherson|October 18th, 2022|Categories: Band-winged Meadowhawks, Davis County, Dragonflies, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Striped Meadowhawks, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Band-winged Meadowhawk, boulder, dragonflies, dragonfly, fall, female, hanging, male, marsh, meadowhawk, meadowhawks, odonata, resting, rock, Striped Meadowhawk, Sympetrum pallipes, Sympetrum semicinctum, wetlands|

At Farmington Bay WMA yesterday I saw and photographed two kinds of meadowhawk dragonflies including this Band-winged Meadowhawk resting on a boulder.

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Striped Meadowhawk Dragonfly – Maybe?

By Mia McPherson|October 7th, 2022|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Striped Meadowhawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, boulder, dragonflies, dragonfly, fall, female, marsh, meadowhawk, meadowhawks, odonata, resting, rock, Striped Meadowhawk, Sympetrum pallipes, wetlands|

Two days ago, I was searching for birds at Farmington Bay WMA when I noticed a dragonfly landing nearby and took a couple pictures of it.

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Rock Wren On The Last Day Of Summer

By Mia McPherson|September 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rock Wrens, Utah|Tags: boulder, close up, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marsh, Mustela frenata, mustelids, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, summer, summer coat, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wren, wrens|

I spotted this Rock Wren at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago. The wren looked slightly out of place surrounded by the marshes that are found at this location.

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Long-tailed Weasel Close Up Photos

By Mia McPherson|September 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Long-tailed Weasels, Rock Wrens, Utah, Wildlife|Tags: adult, close up, curious, focused, leaning, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marsh, Mustela frenata, mustelids, portrait, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, staring, summer, summer coat, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wren, wrens|

This morning I am thrilled to share these Long-tailed Weasel photos taken on the last full day of summer at Farmington Bay WMA which are all thanks to a Rock Wren.

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International Vulture Awareness Day 2022

By Mia McPherson|September 3rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Cathartes aura, desert, flight, flying, foothills, juniper, landing, lichen, lift off, perched, raptors, rock, sage, sagebrush, sky, spring, stump, Turkey Vulture, vulture, Vulture Awareness Day, vultures|

The first Saturday of September is International Vulture Awareness Day which is a day to bring awareness to these birds that face a range of threats.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot Photos From The Uinta Mountains

By Mia McPherson|June 14th, 2022|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, close up, grass, grasses, ground squirrels, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, mountains, rock, rocky slope, sage, sagebrush, sky, spring, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

Last week I showed my friend Steve Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta Mountains and I was able to put him on a lifer Yellow-bellied Marmot.

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Young Yellow-bellied Marmot Pup Portraits

By Mia McPherson|May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: babies, baby, burrow, close up, den, desert, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, lichen, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, portrait, pup, pups, rock, rocks, spring, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

Today I am sharing two portraits of recently photographed Yellow-bellied Marmot pups that I found near their den in desert habitat in northern Utah.

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Seven Years Of Daily Posts At On The Wing Photography

By Mia McPherson|May 2nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Milestone, Utah, Vesper Sparrows|Tags: adult, desert, fluffy, grasses, lichen, milestone, Poocetes gramineus, ranch pond, rock, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Vesper Sparrow|

Today marks seven years of daily posts for me here at On The Wing Photography. Another year has gone by and another milestone has been reached.

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Loggerhead Shrike Population Decline Concerns

By Mia McPherson|April 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: adult, desert, Lanius ludovicianus, lichen, lichen covered, lichens, Loggerhead Shrike, perched, population decline, rock, rocks, shrike, shrikes, spring|

About two weeks ago I found an adult Loggerhead Shrike perched on a lichen covered rock in northern Utah a good distance from the road that I was on.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot Babies

By Mia McPherson|April 13th, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: babies, baby, desert, ground squirrels, hibernate, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, pup, pups, rock, rocks, spring, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

A few days ago I was thrilled to have four small Yellow-bellied Marmot babies to observe and photograph on some rocks in far northern Utah.

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Springtime Rock Wren Photos

By Mia McPherson|April 11th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rock Wrens, Utah|Tags: adult, blue, Box Elder County, clear, cliff, desert, desert habitat, lichen, lichen covered, lichens, nesting materials, perched, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, sky, spring, staring, Utah, wren, wrens|

Any time I have a Rock Wren in my viewfinder is a good day for me. Yesterday was an especially good day because I had two nesting adult Rock Wrens to focus on.

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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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Looking For My First Of Year Sage Thrasher

By Mia McPherson|March 13th, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: adult, desert island, first of season, first of year, Great Salt Lake, lake, migrate, mimids, Mountain Mockingbird, mud flats, mudflats, Oreoscoptes montanus, rock, Sage Thrasher, thrasher, thrashers, warming up, water, winter|

March 13th is an anniversary of sorts for me. The date is the earliest that I have seen and photographed a Sage Thrasher in northern Utah.

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Winter Rock Wren Photos

By Mia McPherson|February 7th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rock Wrens, Utah|Tags: adult, Box Elder County, desert, lichen, lichen covered, lichens, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, Utah, winter, wren, wrens|

Yesterday I found and pointed out a bunch of birds in northern Utah. The long distance Rock Wren photos I took were the birds that brought me the most joy.

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Squirrel Appreciation Day 2022

By Mia McPherson|January 21st, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: baby, calling, canyon, chipmunk, chipmunks, desert, fence post, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, Least Chipmunk, lichen, lichens, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, mountains, Neotamias minimus, playing, pup, pups, rock, rocks, rodents, spring, squirrel, squirrels, stretching, summer, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day around the globe. There are many reasons to appreciate these furry, four legged, cute creatures.

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Yellow-bellied Marmot Out And About In January

By Mia McPherson|January 16th, 2022|Categories: Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, climate change, desert, hibernation, January, lichen, lichen covered, lichens, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, rock, rocks, rodents, sky, too early, winter, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

I found and pointed out dozens of birds yesterday but the biggest surprise to me was spotting a Yellow-bellied Marmot out and about in the middle of January.

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American Pipits In My Viewfinder

By Mia McPherson|December 5th, 2021|Categories: American Pipits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, autumn, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, fall, flats, morning, old lake bed, pipit, pipits, playa, relaxed, rock, rocks, Utah|

I've been seeing and hearing American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.

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Snow Dusted Views Of Utah’s West Desert Mountains

By Mia McPherson|October 14th, 2021|Categories: Tooele County, Trees, Utah, West Desert|Tags: Abies concolor, autumn, canyon, cone, cones, Douglas fir, dusted, fall, fir, firs, ice, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, landscape, mountains, peaks, Pseudotsuga menziesii, rabbitbrush, rock, rocks, sage, sagebrush, sky, snow, snowy, tree, trees, Utah Juniper, views, water droplet, White Fir|

I saw snow on Utah's West Desert mountains for the first time since late spring so I thought I'd share a few views of what I saw while out there yesterday morning.

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On The Lookout For My First Of Season Rough-legged Hawk

By Mia McPherson|October 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rough-legged Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, barb wire, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, fence, fence post, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, light morph, male, mountains, perched, raptors, road, rock, rock pile, rocks, Rough-legged Hawk, snow, winter|

I am now on the lookout for my first of season Rough-legged Hawk. I hope to spot one soon.

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Immature Light Morph Red-tailed Hawk Plus A Dark Morph Adult

By Mia McPherson|September 19th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, Artemisia tridentata, Big Sagebrush, birds of prey, Box Elder County, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, cliff, cliff face, dark morph, desert, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, lichen, lichens, light morph, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, rock, rock face, rocks, sage, sagebrush, sky, summer, Utah, young|

When I spotted the light colored breast of this immature light morph Red-tailed Hawk from a distance it seemed to glow in the morning light.

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Immature White-crowned Sparrow On A Lichen Covered Rock

By Mia McPherson|September 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: desert, immature, juvenile, lichen, lichen covered, rock, seep, sparrow, sparrows, summer, White-crowned Sparrow, young, Zonotrichia leucophrys|

This photo of an immature White-crowned Sparrow perched on a lichen covered rock has some of the colors of fall in it.

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Our Sage Thrashers Will Migrate Soon

By Mia McPherson|August 30th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Sage Thrashers, Utah|Tags: adult, back view, branch, chick, Davis County, desert, desert island, early morning light, fledgling, immature, juvenile, mimids, Oreoscoptes montanus, perched, rabbitbrush, rock, Sage Thrasher, seep, spring, summer, thrasher, thrashers, Utah, young|

Sage Thrashers are only in Utah for their breeding season and by now all their chicks have fledged and are feeding on their own.

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Male Brown-headed Cowbird Displaying

By Mia McPherson|July 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Brown-headed Cowbird, courtship display, cowbird, cowbirds, creek, displaying, historic range, male, mating display, Molothrus ater, mountains, riparian habitat, rock, summer|

Brown-headed Cowbird breeding activity hasn't slowed down yet high in the Wasatch Mountains if this displaying male is any indication of their mating attempts.

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Singing Rock Wren In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|May 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, clod, desert, dirt, end, foothills, grass, grasses, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, perched, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, singing, sky island mountains, spring, tail, Tooele County, Utah, Utah Juniper, west desert, wren, wrens|

Yesterday when I spotted a Rock Wren singing from the top of a juniper in Utah's West Desert I hoped to take a few decent photos of it before it flew away.

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Springtime Vesper Sparrow Images

By Mia McPherson|May 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, back view, canyon, close up, grass, grasses, leaning, metal post, mountains, perched, Poocetes gramineus, post, rock, sage, sagebrush, shoulder, singing, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains|

Yesterday morning I heard my first Vesper Sparrow of spring singing high in the Wasatch Mountains. I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time.

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