swallow – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Up close with a Tree Swallow at Red Rock Lakes NWR

By Mia McPherson|July 27th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, close up, fence post, perched, post, summer, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, valley, wooden post|

While stopped at a gate at Red Rock lakes NWR a Tree Swallow flew in and landed on a fence post so close that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to focus on it but I had to try.

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Bank Swallow Over the Red Rock River

By Mia McPherson|July 18th, 2017|Categories: Bank Swallows, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana|Tags: adult, Bank Swallow, barbed wire, fence, mountain valley, perched, Red Rock River, Riparia riparia, river, smallest swallows, summer, swallow, swallows|

While I looked around four days ago I saw this Bank Swallow resting on a fence that hangs over the Red Rock River and could not resist photographing it with the blue water below and behind it.

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Stretching Barn Swallow Close Up

By Mia McPherson|June 12th, 2017|Categories: Barn Swallows, Birds, Morgan County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, campsite, canyon, fence post, Hirundo rustica, metal post, mountains, post, stretch, stretching, swallow, swallows|

When this Barn Swallow started to stretch its wings I was ready for the action and took several photos of it while it stretched on top of the fence post.

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Curbside Barn Swallow on a Chilly Morning

By Mia McPherson|May 28th, 2017|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, chilly morning, curb, curbside, fluffed up, Hirundo rustica, marsh, refuge, swallow, swallows|

When I arrived at the parking area where the auto tour loop begins at the refuge I spotted a fluffed up curbside Barn Swallow warming up in the sunlight and couldn't resist photographing it.

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Low light Tree Swallow in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho

By Mia McPherson|May 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, branch, calls, forest, low light, male, mountains, perched, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

Last year I was able to spend time photographing this male Tree Swallow in low light in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho and even though the light wasn't the best I still liked the resulting images.

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Barn Swallow Nesting Season Has Begun

By Mia McPherson|April 17th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Barn Swallows, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, beak, bill, clutch, Hirundo rustica, mud, nest construction, nesting material, nesting season, pellets, photo bomb, puddle, swallow, swallows, water|

Barn Swallows have returned for the nesting season here in northern Utah and if they aren't already building nests they will be constructing them very soon.

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Red Rock River Cliff Swallow

By Mia McPherson|June 12th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Cliff Swallows, Montana|Tags: adult, barbed wire, Cliff Swallow, Lyons Bridge, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, Red Rock River, resting, river, Stibel Lane, swallow, swallows|

This Cliff Swallow resting near the Red Rock River was cooperative and gave me the opportunity to photograph it on a strand of barbed wire fencing.

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Tree Swallow near Modoc Creek, Idaho

By Mia McPherson|June 3rd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, breeding season, cavity, conifers, creek, forest, male, nesting tree, perched, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, tree, Tree Swallow|

I liked this image of a Tree Swallow near Modoc Creek because of the eye contact, head turn, colors and the pattern of the conifer needles in the background.

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Cliff Swallow Nesting Season at Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 26th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallows, Glacier County, Montana, Utah|Tags: adult, Cliff Swallow, flock, mud, mud pellet, nesting material, nests, perched, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, swallow, swallows|

More of the swallows will migrate to the refuge very soon and the Cliff Swallow nesting season will start.

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Juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 12th, 2016|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, begging, cattail, fed, feeding, flight, flying, Hirundo rustica, immature, juvenile, marsh, nictitating membrane, perched, swallow, swallows, wetlands, young|

Last year in mid August I photographed a very cooperative juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR and realized I hadn't posted any images of the bird or written about my encounter with it.

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Barn Swallow in a fog at Red Rock Lakes NWR, Montana

By Mia McPherson|February 23rd, 2016|Categories: Barn Swallows, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, fence rail, fence railing, fog, foggy, Hirundo rustica, Lower Lake, perched, railing, swallow, swallows, wooden rail|

I had forgotten about photographing this Barn Swallow in a fog at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge until I was going through my archives yesterday.

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Tree Swallow Defending Its Nest Photo In Memory Of A Great Friend

By Mia McPherson|July 7th, 2015|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, defensive, flight, flying, great friend, in memory, male, nest box, Rohn McKee, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, valley|

I'm posting this Tree Swallow image that was taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in memory of a great friend, Rohn McKee.

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Return of the Tree Swallows

By Mia McPherson|March 25th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding season, bug eating machines, first of year, flight, flock, flying, male, marsh, migration, nest box, nesting box, phragmites, phrags, refuge, return, spring, stand, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.

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Photobombed by a bird and a bug

By Mia McPherson|August 21st, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Barn Swallows, Birds, Dragonflies, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Loggerhead Shrikes, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: Barn Swallow, bird photography, birding, Circus hudsonius, Davis County, dragonfly, flight, harrier, harriers, Hirundo rustica, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, nature photography, Northern Harrier, perched, photobomb, photobombed, shrike, shrikes, swallow, swallows, wildlife photography|

When taking any photograph it is possible to be photobombed and I have had my share of those including these two bird images.

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The Magical Sapsucker Tree in Clark County, Idaho

By Mia McPherson|July 4th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Clark County, House Wrens, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: adult, aspen, branches, cavity, chattering, fecal sacs, female, food, forest, House Wren, male, nest, nesting, nesting cavity, nesting tree, nestlings, pair, Populus tremuloides, prey, Quaking Aspen, Red-naped Sapsucker, sapsucker, sapsuckers, secondary cavity nesters, Sphyrapicus, Sphyrapicus nuchalis, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, tree, Tree Swallow, Troglodytes aedon, Williamson's Sapsucker, wooded, woodpecker, woodpeckers, wren, wrens|

A month ago I photographed a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers excavating a nesting cavity in Idaho and this past week I spent several days photographing them again.

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Barn Swallow on Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|July 15th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Barn Swallows, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, bird photography, boulder, Hirundo rustica, open bill, rock, swallow, swallows, yawning|

I was able to photograph this Barn Swallow on Antelope Island yesterday as it rested on a rock and as I took images the swallow opened its bill for a few frames.

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The Amazing Legacy of the Bluebird Man

By Mia McPherson|July 13th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Capitol Reef National Park, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Downy Woodpeckers, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, Al Larson, bluebird, bluebird trails, bluebirds, branch, cavity nesters, conservation, Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, female, fence rail, juvenile, Mountain Bluebird, nature, nest box, nesting box, nesting material, prey, secondary cavity nesters, Sialia currucoides, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, The Bluebird Man, Tree Swallow, wooden rail, woodpecker, woodpeckers, young|

I want to thank Neil Paprocki for sharing information about Al Larson and the upcoming film The Bluebird Man, I have learned a lot from the web site and through my interview with Neil and I am all for learning more about the wonderful natural world around me.

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Male Tree Swallow in morning light

By Mia McPherson|June 12th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, background, fence post, male, mountains, perched, post, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, wooden post|

This male Tree Swallow was perched on a fence post in western Montana last week when I photographed him while the morning light lit him up beautifully.

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Perched Northern Rough-winged Swallow

By Mia McPherson|April 6th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, fence post, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, perched, plain brown bird, pond, Stelgidopteryx serripennis, swallow, swallows, Utah, wooden post|

Northern Rough-winged Swallows have a wide range in North America but because of their drab colors they are often overlooked by bird photographers, they are the "plain brown bird" of the swallow family.

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Male Tree Swallow in flight

By Mia McPherson|March 24th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, flight, flying, male, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, Utah, valley, wet meadow|

This male Tree Swallow in flight image was taken two years ago at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana and for some reason I had not processed it until now.

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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Barn Swallow

By Mia McPherson|February 3rd, 2013|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Midges, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, Chironomidae, Hirundo rustica, male, marsh, midges, migration, perched, swallow, swallows, wetlands|

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge has five species of swallows, they are Tree, Northern Rough-winged, Violet-green, Cliff and Barn Swallows.

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Spring fever…

By Mia McPherson|March 27th, 2011|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Cliff Swallows, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah, Western Grebes, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: Aechmophorus occidentalis, Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallow, Davis County, grebe, grebes, nature photography, nesting, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, Red-winged Blackbird, Setophaga coronata, spring fever, swallow, swallows, warbler, warblers, Western Grebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler|

Spring seduces me. Refreshes me. It whispers to me softly to come outside and savor nature and wildlife.

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