Short-eared Owl – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Short-eared Owl On An Old Juniper Fence Post

By Mia McPherson|August 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, cedar, fence post, male, metal fence post, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, progress, Short-eared Owl|

I loved taking photos of birds on those old fence posts like this male Short-eared Owl that was looking down to the ground for prey.

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Short-eared Owl Surveying the Centennial Valley of Montana

By Mia McPherson|July 9th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Short-eared Owls|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, barbed wire, fence, fence posts, Gravelly Range, mountains, owl, owls, Owls of Montana, Short-eared Owl, summer, valley|

The Short-eared Owl was perched on the post and slowly turned its head to look around as if it was surveying the beauty of the valley it had made its home in.

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One Year Since the Rescue of Galileo the Short-eared Owl

By Mia McPherson|June 19th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, education bird, Galileo, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, rescue, Short-eared Owl|

One year ago today I became part of an amazing group of people who rescued, rehabbed and trained Galileo the Short-eared Owl after finding him hung up on a barbed wire fence

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Short-eared Owl – Comparing Early to Mid Morning Light On My Subject

By Mia McPherson|June 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, blown eye, contrast, eye issue, mid morning light, morning light, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, perched, shadows, Short-eared Owl, wind blown|

While this final image shows a beautiful Short-eared Owl, nice sharpness and details when I compare it to the first photo it just isn't as visually appealing to me as the first photo which was taken in softer light.

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Short-eared Owl Photographed in Morning Light

By Mia McPherson|May 22nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, back, desert, looking, metal post, over shoulder, owl, owls, perched, ranchlands, Short-eared Owl, spring|

Two days ago the first bird I put my lens on was a Short-eared Owl perched on a rusty metal post looking over its shoulder in morning light.

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Male Short-eared Owl in Search of Prey for Chicks

By Mia McPherson|May 15th, 2017|Categories: Box Elder County, Nesting Birds, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, fence post, flight, lift off, lifting off, male, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, prey, Short-eared Owl|

There have been a few Short-eared Owls that I keep seeing in the same locations over a period of about a month and yesterday I believe that I saw and photographed a male Short-eared Owl hunting for prey for his chicks.

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Missing the Birds of Bear River MBR & Spring Migration

By Mia McPherson|April 9th, 2017|Categories: American Avocets, American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Long-billed Dowitchers, Short-eared Owls, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: Aechmophorus clarkii, American Avocet, American White Pelican, Asio flammeus, auto tour loop, auto tour route, Black-crowned Night Heron, Clark's Grebe, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, feeding, flight, flock, Limnodromus scolopaceus, Long-billed Dowitcher, marshes, Nannopterum auritus, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, owls, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelicans, Phalaropus tricolor, Recurvirostra americana, shorebirds, Short-eared Owl, wading birds, Wilson's Phalarope|

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route is still closed and many of the birders, bird photographers and nature lovers are itching to know what birds are there because after all spring migration is an exciting time at the refuge.

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Cinnamon Teal, Short-eared Owl & Red-Tailed Hawk – A Nice Mixture of Birds

By Mia McPherson|April 5th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Cinnamon Teals, Red-tailed Hawks, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Cinnamon Teal, drake, ducks, grass, hawks, Hawks of Utah, hill, male, owls, Owls of Utah, pond, raptors, red tail hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, sagebrush, shaking, Short-eared Owl, sleepy, Spatula cyanoptera, waterfowl|

It felt great to photograph a nice mixture of birds yesterday and and to be out enjoying the beautiful scenery of northern Utah. Life is good.

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Male Short-eared Owls On the Prowl in Idaho, Montana and Utah

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Idaho, Montana, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, early morning, grasses, low light, male, males, Owls of Idaho, Owls of Montana, Owls of Utah, perched, post, rousing, short-eared, Short-eared Owl, spring, tumbleweeds|

Short-eared Owls are nomadic so the places where I saw and photographed these male Short-eared Owls last year may or may not have owls this breeding season.

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Nomadic Short-eared Owls

By Mia McPherson|February 26th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, chick, desert, female, immature, juvenile, male, morning light, owl, owls, pasture, ranchlands, road side, Short-eared Owl, side lit, spring, young|

Short-eared Owls are nomadic because they follow their main prey which is voles and if the vole population is low the Short-eared Owl density will also be low.

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Without Science You Would Not See This Short-eared Owl Photo

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, chick, engineers, fledgling, immature, juvenile, owl, owls, sagebrush steppe, science, scientists, Short-eared Owl, supporting science, tilted head, yellow eyes, young|

Without science you would not see this Short-eared Owl chick photo. You are here viewing it through a device using an internet connection to connect to a page housed on a server.

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My Visit with Galileo the Short-eared Owl at HawkWatch International

By Mia McPherson|January 12th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, education bird, Galileo, HawkWatch, Hawkwatch International, low light, male, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, rescue bird, Short-eared Owl|

Galileo will be an education bird at HawkWatch International and he will help show people, young and old, in class rooms and community centers the importance of having owls and other raptors in our environment.

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Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2016|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Pipits, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Davis County, Double-crested Cormorants, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Horned Owls, High Uintas, Hybrid Geese, Idaho, Leucistic, Montana, Peregrine Falcons, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Salt Lake County, Short-eared Owls, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tooele County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wayne County, Western Bluebirds, Wilson's Phalaropes, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: American Barn Owl, American Bittern, American Pipit, Anthus rubescens, Aphelocoma woodhouseii, Asio flammeus, Athene cunicularia, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Botaurus lentiginosus, Bubo virginianus, Burrowing Owl, Buteo jamaicensis, Canada x Snow Goose, Cathartes aura, Double-crested Cormorant, Falco peregrinus, Great Horned Owl, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hybrid, Marmota flaviventris, Megaceryle alcyon, Nannopterum auritus, Peregrine Falcon, Phalaropus tricolor, Red-naped Sapsucker, Red-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Sialia mexicana, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, Turkey Vulture, Tyto furcata, Western Bluebird, Wilson's Phalarope, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!

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Meet Galileo – The Short-eared Owl Who Soon Graduates to Education Bird

By Mia McPherson|December 17th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, education bird, educational, Galileo, HawkWatch, Hawkwatch International, owl, owls, rescue, Short-eared Owl|

Nancy Blech Matro, outgoing Hawkwatch International Board Chair, contacted me yesterday to share news with me about Galileo the Short-eared Owl I had a small part in rescuing.

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2000 Posts about Birds, Wildlife and Nature at On The Wing Photography

By Mia McPherson|November 20th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Coyotes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Golden-silk Spiders, Great Blue Herons, Montana, Pinellas County, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Ardea herodias, Asio flammeus, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Buteo swainsoni, Canis latrans, Coyote, Golden-silk Spiders, Great Blue Heron, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, owls, Short-eared Owl, Swainson's Hawk|

Today I am celebrating having published 2000 posts on birds, wildlife and nature at On The Wing Photography and sharing the stories behind the images along with the journeys I take to find my subjects.

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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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Centennial Valley Prairie Falcon and a Short-eared Owl Barbed Wire Casualty

By Mia McPherson|September 18th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Clark County, Idaho, Montana, Prairie Falcons, Short-eared Owls|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, barb wire, barbed wire, barbed wire dangers, birds of prey, casualty, defecating, Falco mexicanus, falcon, falcons, juvenile, owls, perched, pooping, post, Prairie Falcon, Short-eared Owl, summer, wooden post|

I spent some time in the Centennial Valley of Montana yesterday and the best bird of the morning was this adult Prairie Falcon photographed on a cattle chute with a white cloud in the background.

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Update On The Short-eared Owl That I Helped To Rescue

By Mia McPherson|September 7th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, adult plumage, Asio flammeus, chicks, fledgling, Hawkwatch International, juvenile, male, rehabilitation, rescue, rescued, Short-eared Owl, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah|

I can now give another update on the Short-eared Owl, he will be going to Hawkwatch International in October to be used as an educational bird!

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Young Short-eared Owls Calling, Begging and Lifting Off

By Mia McPherson|August 27th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: animated, Asio flammeus, begging, calling, fence post, fledgling, flight, immature, juvenile, lift off, lifting off, owl, owls, perched, Short-eared Owl, young|

I miss these young Short-eared Owls but I hope they are doing well and will return next year to breed and have young of their own.

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Roadside Short-eared Owl Female

By Mia McPherson|August 16th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, female, fence post, field, owl, owls, perched, ranchlands, raptors, Short-eared Owl, spring, wet meadow, wooden post|

I haven't been seeing the Short-eared Owls lately and that is most likely because their young are now on their own and they don't need to hunt as much because now they only need to feed themselves.

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Hidden Short-eared Owl Fledgling

By Mia McPherson|July 19th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Short-eared Owls|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, close up, fledgling, full frame, grasses, hidden, owl, owls, Owls of Montana, portrait, Short-eared Owl|

I know that this hidden Short-eared Owl fledgling image isn't one of my best because of the grasses in front of its face and the shadow of a stem falling on its left eye but I love it.

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Short-eared Owl In Flight Over A Wet Meadow

By Mia McPherson|July 18th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Short-eared Owls|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, flight, flying, juvenile, owl, owls, sagebrush, Short-eared Owl, valley, wet meadow|

This Short-eared Owl in flight over a wet meadow was just one of my favorite images taken yesterday in the Centennial Valley.

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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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Update on the Injured Short-eared Owl Fledgling

By Mia McPherson|July 2nd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, barbed wire, birds of prey, education bird, fledgling, non-releasable, owls, Owls of Utah, patagialis, rehabilitate, rescue, Short-eared Owl, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah|

I'm so sorry this Short-eared Owl fledgling won't be released like the Barn Owl I helped to rescue in Montana but rescuing it from the barbed wire was still the right thing to do.

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Fledgling Short-eared Owl Portraits

By Mia McPherson|June 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, close up, fledgling, juvenile, owls, Owls of Utah, portrait, portraits, Short-eared Owl|

Yesterday I was able to take a series of fledgling Short-eared Owl portraits when this young owl perched on a metal post right next to a road in Box Elder County, Utah.

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Short-eared Owl Fledgling Barbed Wire Injury

By Mia McPherson|June 20th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, barb wire, barbed wire, barbed wire dangers, desert, fences, fledgling, Hawkwatch International, injury, owls, Owls of Utah, ranchlands, rehabber, rehabilitated, Short-eared Owl, spring, stretching, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah|

Right after seeing the adult I also saw a fledgling Short-eared Eared Owl about 8 to 10 feet from the adult hung up on barbed wire.

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Short-eared Owl Fledgling Parallaxing

By Mia McPherson|June 14th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: absolute depth information, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, chick, fledgling, grass, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, parallaxing, Short-eared Owl, tilted head, tumbleweed|

This Short-eared Owl fledgling spent a lot of time looking at the vehicle on the far side of the road parallaxing with its head tilted or bobbing up and down.

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Low Light Male Short-eared Owl in Idaho

By Mia McPherson|June 5th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Short-eared Owls|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, low light, male, owl, owls, Owls of Idaho, perched, Short-eared Owl|

The male Short-eared Owl in Clark County, Idaho was a beauty even in the poor light.

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Short-eared Owl Preening Session

By Mia McPherson|May 30th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, auditory canal, birds of prey, contorted, ear canal, eyes, male, owls, Owls of Utah, preening, preening gland, Short-eared Owl, squinting, talons, uropygial gland|

I was able to see and photograph a long Short-eared Owl preening session where I could see the owl's ear canal, uropygial gland and some extremely interesting and twisted poses.

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Female Short-eared Owl Stretching One Wing

By Mia McPherson|May 29th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, Asio flammeus, birds of prey, female, fence post, moss, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, perched, ranchlands, Short-eared Owl, spring, stretching, wet meadow, wing|

I really liked this frame of the female Short-eared Owl stretching on a leaning fence post because of the eye contact, the view of her talons, fanned out tail and extended wing.

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