side view – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Spotted Orbweaver Spider In My Viewfinder

By Mia McPherson|October 2nd, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Sebastian County, Spotted Orbweavers|Tags: adult, autumn, close up, fall, garden, morning, Neoscona crucifera, orbweaver, orbweavers, side view, spider, spiders, Spotted Orbweaver, underside, up close, urban, web, yard|

Recently, I photographed my first Spotted Orbweaver spiders in Arkansas. I used to photograph one of their relatives, the Western Spotted Orbweaver, in Utah.

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Gray Treefrog – On Green

By Mia McPherson|September 1st, 2024|Categories: Gray Treefrogs, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: amphibians, bottomland hardwood forest, bottomlands, frog, frogs, Gray Treefrog, Gray Treefrog Species Complex, green, Hyla versicolor, leaf, side view, summer, treefrog, treefrogs|

Last month I took these images of a Gray Treefrog at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. This just goes to show you all how far behind I am on sharing my photos!

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Oklahoma Yellow Garden Spider Photos

By Mia McPherson|August 23rd, 2024|Categories: Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Yellow Garden Spiders|Tags: adult, Argiope aurantia, back view, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, cattails, female, garden spider, garden spiders, grasshopper, prey, side view, spider, spiders, summer, web, Yellow Garden Spider|

Yesterday, I was happy to photograph a few Yellow Garden Spiders while taking a walk on a side road at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. You might wonder why.

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Carolina Chickadee Plus A Trumpet Vine Sphinx Moth

By Mia McPherson|August 20th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Carolina Chickadees, Sebastian County, Trumpet Vine Sphinx Moths|Tags: adult, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, chickadees, close up, driftwood, feeder, garden, insects, moth, moths, Paratrea plebeja, Poecile carolinensis, side view, sphinx, summer, Trumpet Vine Sphinx, Trumpet Vine Sphinx moth, yard|

Today, I am sharing Carolina Chickadee photos, plus a Trumpet Vine Sphinx moth that was on the driftwood where the chickadee landed two days ago in Arkansas.

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Red Fox Kit Photos

By Mia McPherson|March 14th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Red Foxes, Utah|Tags: baby, close up, curious, cute, fox, foxes, grass, immature, kit, kits, mammals, marsh, portrait, Red Fox, red fox kits, resting, roadside, scratching, side view, spring, standing, stretching, Vulpes vulpes, wetlands, young|

Bad weather and bad timing have kept me out of the field for a bit. Today, I am sharing some cute Red Fox kit photos I took almost a year after I moved to Utah.

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Song Sparrow Serenade – Happy Birthday Chris!

By Mia McPherson|February 24th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, marsh, Melospiza melodia, morning, perched, perky, phragmites, phrags, side view, sing, singing, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, starting, wetlands, winter|

I was serenaded by this Song Sparrow yesterday on the rut-filled road at Farmington Bay WMA. It might seem odd, but this bird reminded me of my youngest son.

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Ten Greater White-fronted Goose Photos

By Mia McPherson|February 4th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Greater White-fronted Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anser albifrons, background, close up, eating, feeding, frontal, geese, goose, grass, Greater White-fronted Goose, Mallard, pond, side view, Specklebellies, stump, up close, urban, vagrant, vegetation, water, waterfowl, winter|

I was out running errands yesterday when I found a Greater White-fronted Goose. I drove home to grab my gear so I could photograph this 'specklebelly' goose.

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Western Meadowlark Amusement

By Mia McPherson|November 2nd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: autumn, back view, fall, feathers, flipped, frontal view, head on, head turn, meadowlark, meadowlarks, old lake bottom, perched, profile view, puffed up, ranchlands, roadside, scrunched down, side view, sideways, sky, squatting, Sturnella neglecta, Western Meadowlark, wooden post|

Photographing this Western Meadowlark on Monday on my way back to I-15 from Bear River MBR was so much fun for me that it probably ought to be illegal.

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Focusing On A Gray Ghost – AKA Male Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|December 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, flight, flying, Gray Ghost, harrier, harriers, Hawks of Utah, hunting, male, marsh, Northern Harrier, on the wing, raptors, side view, vegetation, winter|

Today I am focusing on an adult male Northern Harrier that I had in my viewfinder for a few seconds yesterday that was on the wing over the marsh.

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Sub-adult Dark Morph Swainson’s Hawk Photos

By Mia McPherson|May 1st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: Buteo swainsoni, Buteos, dark morph, fence post, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, perched, raptors, rousing, side view, sub-adult, Swainson's Hawk|

All of the Swainson's I photographed the first day of May last year were adults except for what I believe was a sub-adult dark morph Swainson's Hawk and I thought that hawk was a real beauty.

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Photographing Short-eared Owl Fledglings in Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|February 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: Asio flammeus, birds of prey, chick, fledgling, fly, grasses, head on, owl, owls, Owls of Utah, photograph, photographing, portrait, road, Short-eared Owl, side view, tumbleweed|

Both of the fledgling Short-eared Owls I took photos of that morning appeared very relaxed while I photographed them, they looked around, preened, yawned, stretched and even rested with their eyes closed.

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Song Sparrow In Box Elder County, Utah – Bird Sounds of Spring

By Mia McPherson|April 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: abundant, back view, barb wire, barbed wire, calls, Melospiza melodia, perched, side view, Song Sparrow, songs, sounds, sparrow, sparrows, spring, subspecies, variable|

I was trying to photograph some Red-tailed Hawks when I heard a song close to me and realized it was a Song Sparrow before I even located the bird and put my lens on it.

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Loggerhead Shrike and its prey

By Mia McPherson|May 6th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: adult, bill, bird photography, hunched down, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, open, perched, preened, prey, rabbitbrush, shrike, shrikes, side view, vole|

A few weeks ago I was able to photograph a Loggerhead Shrike near the marina on Antelope Island State Park, Utah. It was an interesting experience for several reasons.

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Rough-legged Hawk Preening

By Mia McPherson|November 30th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: Antelope Island State Park, birds of prey, buteo, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, comical, feet, funny, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, light morph, perched, post, preening, raptors, regal, Rough-legged Hawk, side view, wooden post|

Last week though I had the opportunity to photograph a very cooperative Rough-legged Hawk preening.

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