Tachycineta bicolor – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Tree Swallows Have Migrated Into Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|March 25th, 2024|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, High Uintas, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, aspen, aspens, close up, female, forest, male, mountains, natural, nest, nest box, nesting, nesting box, nesting cavity, nesting season, perched, Populus tremuloides, portrait, Quaking Aspen, spring, Summit County, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, tree trunk, Utah|

Over the weekend, I read on Facebook that Tree Swallows have migrated back into Northern Utah for their breeding season. I am so excited about that news!

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Tree Swallow Nesting In An Aspen

By Mia McPherson|June 8th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, aspen, aspens, Bald Mountain Pass, clouds, female, ice, lake, Lily Lake, mountains, nest, nesting cavity, nesting season, nesting tree, Populus tremuloides, sky, snow, spring, Summit County, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, tree, Tree Swallow, trees, trunk, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah, view|

While up high in the Uinta Mountains yesterday morning I photographed this female Tree Swallow checking out a nesting cavity in a Quaking Aspen.

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Swallow Photos

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2022|Categories: Bank Swallows, Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallows, Morgan County, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tooele County, Tree Swallows, Utah, Violet-green Swallows, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, branch, branches, canyon, Cliff Swallow, creek, desert, dirt road, forest, Hirundo rustica, immature, male, marsh, morning light, mountains, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, perched, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, phragmites, phrags, Riparia riparia, riparian habitat, road, sky, sky island mountains, spring, Stelgidopteryx serripennis, summer, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tachycineta thalassina, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, warming up, Wasatch Mountains, wetlands, young|

Today I wanted to share swallow photos that show the six species of swallows I see and photograph in northern Utah while they are here for their nesting season.

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Tree Swallows Have Returned

By Mia McPherson|March 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, aspen, flock, forest, gathering, low light, male, marsh, migration, mountains, nest, nest boxes, nesting cavity, perched, phragmites, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, wetlands|

A little birdie told me that Tree Swallows returned to the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge about the middle of this month.

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Tree Swallows Nesting In The Uinta Mountains

By Mia McPherson|May 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: aspen, breeding season, chicks, feeding, female, forest, male, mountains, nest, nest entrance, nest opening, nesting cavity, nesting season, Quaking Aspen, sapsuckers, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, teleconverter, tree, Tree Swallow, trees|

Tree Swallows and other birds should be nesting in the Uinta Mountains by now and I am itching to hop into my Jeep to drive up there to find them.

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Swallow Quartet – Bank, Barn, Cliff And Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|September 7th, 2019|Categories: Bank Swallows, Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cliff Swallows, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, early morning light, Hirundo rustica, immature, journeys, lifting off, marshes, migration, morning light, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, Riparia riparia, soft, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, young|

I was glad to be able to photograph Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows perched on top of a stand of phragmites near the auto tour route on the refuge in early morning light.

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Spring Gathering Of Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|April 9th, 2019|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, flock, gathering, marsh, phragmites, spring, squabbling, stand, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

Tree Swallows were the most numerous of the swallows I saw and at the far northwest part of the auto tour route I found bunches of them resting in a stand of phragmites so I decided to get out, set up my tripod and photograph them from across the water.

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Nesting Tree Swallows in the High Uintas

By Mia McPherson|June 3rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: aspen, forest, male, nest, nesting behavior, nesting cavity, secondary cavity nester, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

While I photographed nesting House Wrens in the High Uintas the last day of May I also photographed nesting Tree Swallows in the same Aspen tree in a cavity a bit lower on the trunk.

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With Midges Emerging Will Swallows Arrive Soon?

By Mia McPherson|February 18th, 2018|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark County, Cliff Swallows, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Morgan County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, calling, Cliff Swallow, Hirundo rustica, midge, midges, mud puddle, perched, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, stretching, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

That one midge I saw in the restroom at Bear River MBR did cause me to wonder if the swallows will show up early this year in northern Utah or will the predicted cooler weather cause them arrive at their normal time.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Montana is beckoning to me…

By Mia McPherson|May 7th, 2012|Categories: Beaverhead County, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Birds, Cliff Lake, Eastern Kingbirds, Glacier County, Glacier National Park, Gravelly Range, Great Horned Owls, Madison County, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds, Pronghorn, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-tailed Hawks, Short-eared Owls, Swainson's Hawks, Tree Swallows, Wilson's Snipes|Tags: Antilocapra americana, Asio flammeus, Bubo virginianus, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteo swainsoni, Cliff Lake, Eastern Kingbird, Gallinago delicata, Great Horned Owl, homestead, immature, juvenile, Madison Range, Madison River, Mountain Bluebird, Pronghorn, Red-tailed Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Sialia currucoides, Swainson's Hawk, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, Tyrannus tyrannus, Wilson's Snipe|

Seeing the word "Montana" so often has gotten me anxious, antsy and itching to head north soon to see more of a state that beckons to me because I have fallen in love with it.

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