unusual – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

I’m Still Looking For This Leucistic American Coot

By Mia McPherson|January 26th, 2024|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Rarities, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, coot, coots, Fulica americana, funky water color, leucism, leucistic, park, plumage aberration, pond, rare, reflections, spring, unique, unusual, urban, water|

I remember feeling very thrilled when I found this leucistic American Coot on January 2, 2023. I'd been hoping to find a leucistic coot for quite a long time.

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An Incredible Shelf Cloud Over Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|October 24th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Miscellaneous, Utah, Weather Phenomena|Tags: Arcus clouds, autumn, Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, cloud, cloud formations, clouds, composite, Cumulonimbus clouds, fall, flats, morning, panorama, ranchlands, shelf cloud, sky, stormy, tree, unusual, Utah, weather phenomena|

Today, I am sharing a few images of an incredible shelf cloud over Bear River MBR that I was thrilled to see and photograph yesterday morning.

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An Extreme Variation of Supplemental Plumage in an American White Pelican

By Mia McPherson|July 29th, 2016|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, black feathers, crown, extreme, marsh, nape, neck, pelican, pelicans, plumage phase, summer, summer plumage, Supplemental Plumage, unusual, variation, wetlands|

Two days ago while on the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR an American White Pelican caught my eyes because of its unusually dark crown, nape, and neck plumage.

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An odd Pronghorn with two extra horns?

By Mia McPherson|August 12th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Pronghorn, Utah|Tags: adult, Antilocapra americana, buck, desert island, extra horns, horn sheath, horny growths, male, odd, Pronghorn, pronghorns, summer, unique, unusual|

This image shows a side view of the Pronghorn buck's face with the two unusual horn growths shown protruding from its muzzle.

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Rare Sight to See – Walking And Standing Pied-billed Grebes

By Mia McPherson|October 23rd, 2012|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, avian botulism, behavior, breeding plumage, duckweed, fall, grebe, grebes, immature, juvenile, marsh, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, rare, standing, unusual, walking, wetlands|

It was an unusual experience to see these Pied-billed Grebes standing upright and walking on the edge of this pond, some might even consider it rare.

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Buck Pronghorn with Oddly Misshapened Horns

By Mia McPherson|October 8th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Pronghorn, Utah|Tags: Antilocapra americana, atypical, bent, close up, deformed, head shot, nature, nature photography, portrait, Pronghorn, Pronghorn Antelope, rut, strange, unique, unusual, Utah, wildlife, wildlife photography|

This October 3rd I spotted this pronghorn for the third or fourth time in this past year only this time I had good light, the buck wasn't far away and because it is rut season he was only paying attention to the does and other bucks in the area.

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