twig – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Morning Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird Drama

By Mia McPherson|August 5th, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, Archilochus colubris, blur, branch, feeder, garden, gorget, hummingbird, hummingbirds, low light, male, morning, perched, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, stick, summer, twig, urban, wings, yard|

Early yesterday morning, I had a handsome male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my viewfinder. Suddenly, another hummingbird flew in, putting him on high alert.

5

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird In My Viewfinder

By Mia McPherson|August 1st, 2024|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, Archilochus colubris, branch, feeder, garden, gorget, hummingbird, hummingbirds, low light, male, perched, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, stick, stuck out, summer, tongue, twig, urban, yard|

I finally have male Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos that I am happy with. It's about time, isn't it? He isn't a lifer; I've photographed this species before.

4

One Tranquil American Coot

By Mia McPherson|March 12th, 2023|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, branch, coot, coots, Fulica americana, park, pond, reflection, tranquil, twig, urban, water, winter|

Calm and tranquil, this American Coot photographed 3 days ago stood out from its typically aggressive and territorial behavior during the breeding season.

2

Loggerhead Shrike At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|December 16th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: adult, auto tour loop, autumn, Butcher Birds, fall, feathers, fluffy, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, marsh, perched, shaking, shrike, shrikes, sky, twig, wetlands|

On my last trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I found this Loggerhead Shrike perched on a twig near the end of the auto tour loop.

5

Winter American Robin Foraging In A Crabapple Tree

By Mia McPherson|February 5th, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, branch, branches, crabapple, crabapple tree, eating, foraging, fruit, fruits, perched, picking at, robin, robins, sky, thrush, thrushes, tree, trees, Turdus migratorius, twig, winter|

Yesterday I was able to focus on this American Robin as it foraged in the branches of a crabapple tree and took a nice, long series of images of the handsome red-breasted thrush.

9

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Nectaring And Landing Series

By Mia McPherson|May 26th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, backing up, Black twinberry honeysuckle, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, feet, hummingbird, hummingbirds, landing, Lonicera involucrata, male, nectaring, Selasphorus platycercus, toes, twig|

The Black Twinberry Honeysuckles weren't even in bloom quite yet yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains when I spotted this male Broad-tailed Hummingbird hovering near some to get nectar.

5

Cooperative Northern Mockingbird in Autumn

By Mia McPherson|October 21st, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Mockingbirds, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, autumn, colors, cooperative, desert, fall, Fragrant Sumac, leaves, lift off, mimids, Mimus polyglottos, mockingbird, mockingbirds, Northern Mockingbird, perched, Rhus aromatica, sumac, twig|

Some days one good bird is all I get and if I hadn't spotted this cooperative Mockingbird on a Fragrant Sumac in northern Utah yesterday I would have been mostly skunked.

6

Gray Catbird Plus Blooming Hound’s Tongue Photos

By Mia McPherson|June 9th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: Beggars-lice, blooms, Boraginaceae, catbird, catbirds, Cynoglossum officinale, Dog’s Tongue, Dogbur, Dumetella carolinensis, Gray Catbird, Gypsy Flower, Gypsyflower, Hounds-tongue, Houndstongue, introduced, log, messy background, mimids, multi-colored, perched, twig, wildflower, wildflowers, Woolmat|

I enjoyed my time yesterday morning photographing the Gray Catbird and the Hound's Tongue in bloom but I really wish I had been as happy with my catbird photos as I am the wildflower images.

5

Fleeting Moments With An Immature Black-chinned Hummingbird

By Mia McPherson|August 20th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Davis County, Hummingbirds, Utah|Tags: Archilochus alexandri, bill, Black-chinned Hummingbird, close up, desert, flutter, hummingbird, hummingbirds, immature, island, perched, stretch, summer, tongue, twig, wing lift, young|

Two days ago I had a few fleeting moments with an immature Black-chinned Hummingbird that flew in and landed close to me and I relished every second with it.

4

Antelope Island Willow Flycatcher Perched on a Twig

By Mia McPherson|August 19th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: adult, Empidonax traillii, Empids, fall migration, flycatcher, flycatchers, immature, migration, perched, twig, Willow Flycatcher|

All summer long I have heard Willow Flycatchers up in some of the Wasatch Mountain Canyons but had been unable to capture quality images of them.

5

Nesting time for Black-billed Magpies

By Mia McPherson|March 5th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-billed Magpie, cold wind, flight, flying, lift off, lifting off, magpie, magpies, mobile blind, nest building, nesting, nesting material, nesting season, nesting time, Pica hudsonia, twig|

There was a sharp, cold wind blowing from the north yesterday and before I was finished photographing these Black-billed Magpies my hands had gone numb.

23