waterfowl – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Fifteen Tundra Swan Photos For Swan Day 2022

By Mia McPherson|March 11th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Cygnus columbianus, ice, ice shelf, marsh, running, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, Utah, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

This past Monday while I was enjoying the peace and solitude of the auto tour route at Bear River MBR I took hundreds of Tundra Swan photos from inside my Jeep.

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Drake Northern Pintail Lift Off Images

By Mia McPherson|March 8th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Pintails, Utah, Video|Tags: adult, Anas acuta, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, dabbling ducks, drake, ducks, female, flight, flock, flying, hen, lift off, lifting off, male, marsh, mountains, Northern Pintail, pintail, pintails, sky, snow, take off, taking off, Utah, video, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning and came home with some drake Northern Pintail lift off images that I am pleased with.

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Tundra Swan In Flight In Early Morning Light

By Mia McPherson|March 7th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, marsh, pastel, phragmites, phrags, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, vegetation, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

I took this Tundra Swan photo on my most recent trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I came upon hundreds of these swans on the marsh.

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Lesser Scaup Hen And Drake At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Lesser Scaups, Utah|Tags: adult, Aythya affinis, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, flapping, hen, ice, Lesser Scaup, male, marsh, scaup, scaups, water, waterfowl, wetlands, wing flap, wings, winter|

On my last trip up to Bear River MBR I had a brief opportunity to photograph a Lesser Scaup hen next to the auto tour loop as she flapped her wings.

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Northern Utah Winter Waterfowl Photo

By Mia McPherson|February 27th, 2022|Categories: American Wigeons, Birds, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Mallards|Tags: American Wigeon, Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea herodias, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, dabbling ducks, desert, duck, ducks, fog, frost, geese, goose, grasses, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, hoar frost, Mallard, mallards, Mareca americana, mist, pond, ranchlands, snow, steam fog, water, waterfowl, wigeon, wigeons, winter|

The photo I liked the most from yesterday was of winter waterfowl on a small pond with mist rising from the water and hoar frost covering the vegetation.

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Drake Hooded Merganser On The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|February 22nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, Hooded Merganser, ice, Lophodytes cucullatus, low light, male, merganser, mergansers, river, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

Earlier this month I stopped to take photos of a drake Hooded Merganser floating on the Bear River before the sun lit up that part of the refuge.

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Trumpeter Swan Photos From Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|February 21st, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, back view, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, calling, Cygnus buccinator, Cygnus columbianus, ice, lift off, lifting off, marsh, phragmites, phrags, swan, swans, take off, taking off, Trumpeter Swan, Tundra Swan, Utah, vegetation, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

When I was at Bear River MBR two days ago I was excited to be able to take a nice series of Trumpeter Swan photos on the west side of the auto tour loop.

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Canada Geese Are Pairing Up – Signs Of Spring

By Mia McPherson|February 15th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Utah|Tags: adult, Bear River, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, Canada Goose, geese, goose, ice, icy, mated, mates, pair, pairing up, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

On my last couple of trips up to Bear River MBR I have noticed that the Canada Geese have already started pairing up which is a definite sign of spring.

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February Tundra Swan Photos Plus Some Very Early Sandhill Cranes

By Mia McPherson|February 11th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, Antigone canadensis, crane, cranes, Cygnus columbianus, early, ice, marsh, resting, road, Sandhill Crane, snow, snow covered, stink-eye, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, walking, wary, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

Late last month I mentioned that I hadn't yet gotten the Tundra Swan photos that I wanted to take. Yesterday at Bear River MBR I was delighted to remedy that situation.

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Drake Common Goldeneye Close Up Photos

By Mia McPherson|February 1st, 2022|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bucephala clangula, close up, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, goldeneye, goldeneyes, head on, male, pond, shaking, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

Last week while going through photos I had taken last year I came across three drake Common Goldeneye close up photos that I wanted to share.

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First Winter Common Merganser On The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|January 31st, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Mergansers, Utah|Tags: Bear River, Common Merganser, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, first winter, immature, male, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, morning, reflections, river, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter, young|

On my last two trips up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I've stopped long enough to photograph a first winter Common Merganser on the Bear River.

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Tundra Swans On Ice And Open Water

By Mia McPherson|January 29th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: Cygnus columbianus, duck, ducks, flock, gull, gulls, ice, ice shelf, marsh, mountains, open water, sky, snow, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, Wasatch Mountain Range, Wasatch Mountains, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

I haven't yet gotten the photos of Tundra Swans this year that I would like to take but that won't stop me from sharing some that I have taken this winter.

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Canada Goose In Flight – My First Bird Sighting Of 2022

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, close up, eye, flight, flying, geese, goose, landing, mountains, portrait, skimming, small in frame, snow, snowy, staring, tree, urban, Wasatch Mountains, water, waterfowl, winter|

The first bird that I could positively identify seeing for 2022 was a Canada Goose flying away from my local pond yesterday morning.

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Great Egret, Mallards and Hooded and Common Mergansers On The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|December 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Mergansers, Great Egrets, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea alba, Bear River, Common Merganser, composite, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, egret, egrets, female, Great Egret, hen, Hooded Merganser, ice, Lophodytes cucullatus, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, river, riverbank, snow, wading birds, water, waterfowl, winter|

The Great Egret landed where I had views of Hooded and Common Mergansers and three Mallards resting on the ice on the Bear River.

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Common Merganser In A Morning Mist

By Mia McPherson|December 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, backlit, Common Merganser, diving ducks, duck, ducks, fall, immature, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, mist, morning, pond, urban, water, waterfowl, young|

It was early in the morning when I photographed this immature Common Merganser in a morning mist almost five years ago at my local pond.

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Female Hooded Merganser Lifting Off From The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|December 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Hooded Mergansers, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Bear River, close, diving ducks, duck, ducks, fall, female, Glover Pond, hen, Hooded Merganser, ice, lift off, lifting off, Lophodytes cucullatus, merganser, mergansers, pond, river, running, take off, taking off, water, waterfowl, wetlands|

I spotted a single female Hooded Merganser on the Bear River two days ago and photographed her as she ran on top of the water to lift off.

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Drake Northern Shoveler Landing On A Chilly Pond

By Mia McPherson|November 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, breeding plumage, chilly, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, fall, flight, flying, Glover Pond, landing, male, marsh, Northern Shoveler, pond, shoveler, shovelers, Spatula clypeata, water, waterfowl, wetlands|

This morning I am sharing a simple photo of a drake Northern Shoveler landing on a chilly pond that I took in early December of last year.

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Ruddy Ducks In Flight

By Mia McPherson|November 24th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, fall, female, flight, flock, flying, hen, male, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, Oxyura jamaicensis, pond, preening, Ruddy Duck, sky, swimming, urban, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

A few days ago I saw someone say that they rarely saw photos of Ruddy Ducks in flight and I remembered I had a series of them flying past taken 11 years ago.

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Three Canada Geese On An Autumn Morning

By Mia McPherson|November 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, fall, flight, flying, geese, Glover Pond, goose, grass, grasses, lift off, lifting off, pond, take off, taking off, teasels, water, waterfowl, wetlands|

Last week I photographed three Canada Geese lifting off from Glover Pond at Farmington Bay and it brought memories from November of 2008.

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It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|October 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, clouds, Cygnus columbianus, eagle, eagles, feeding, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, marsh, mountains, on the wing, Promontory Mountains, raptors, scenery, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.

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Soothing Sounds of Birds From My Living Room Window

By Mia McPherson|September 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Canada Geese, Capitol Reef National Park, Downy Woodpeckers, Morgan County, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, autumn, ballet, Black-capped Chickadee, branch, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, canyon, chickadee, chickadees, Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, fall, forest edge, geese, goose, lift off, lifting off, male, mountains, perched, Poecile atricapillus, pond, take off, taking off, urban, waterfowl, winter, woodpecker, woodpeckers|

I like having my windows open so I can hear the sounds of birds when I can't be in the field. It helps me to hear them especially when the world is so crazy.

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Swan Day in Utah – March 13, 2021

By Mia McPherson|March 11th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, ice, icy, marsh, mountains, pair, Promontory Mountains, resting, sidelit, sky, swan, Swan Day, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

This Saturday, March 13th, is Swan Day here in Utah. It is a day to celebrate these large, white, beautiful birds that spend time here during the winter.

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Tundra Swans On Ice At Farmington Bay WMA

By Mia McPherson|February 23rd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: Cygnus columbianus, ice, landscape, marsh, morning, mountains, Oquirrh Mountains, sky, snow, snowy, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

I photographed Tundra Swans on the ice at Farmington Bay WMA that showed the snow covered Oquirrh Mountains in the background last week.

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Adult Tundra Swan On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|January 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, clouds, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, marsh, on the wing, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

I've been thinking that I need to hop into my Jeep and head to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to photograph the Tundra Swans before they head north to breed and nest.

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Winter Ruddy Duck Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|January 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: blue bill, diving, diving ducks, duck, ducks, first winter, hint, immature/female, male, Oxyura jamaicensis, pond, Ruddy Duck, water, waterfowl, winter|

Two days ago I photographed a Ruddy Duck close to home at my local pond. I was only able to take 14 image of it before it dove under the water and swam away.

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Leucistic Canada Goose

By Mia McPherson|January 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, Canada Goose, geese, goose, head, leucism, leucistic, odd plumage, partial leucism, Partially leucistic, plumage variation, pond, water, waterfowl, white head, white-headed, winter|

I didn't see any American Robins feeding on crabapples yesterday but I did find a leucistic Canada Goose at my local pond.

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Canada Goose Portrait

By Mia McPherson|January 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, close up, geese, goose, pond, portrait, relaxed, resting, waterfowl, winter|

Today I wanted to share this simple Canada Goose portrait. I took this portrait three years ago today at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.

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Photographing Winter Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 15th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Bald Eagles, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Canvasbacks, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya americana, Aythya valisineria, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Black-crowned Night Heron, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Canvasback, chase, close up, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, dicks, displaying, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eagle, eagles, female, fight, fighting, first winter, flight, flying, food, frisky, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, grebe, grebes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, heron, herons, immature, male, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, portrait, prey, Quiscalus mexicanus, raptors, Redhead, redheads, swimming, wading birds, water, waterfowl, weather loach, winter, young|

I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing winter birds at Farmington Bay WMA and closer to home in the morning and afternoon.

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Common Goldeneye Making Waves

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Utah|Tags: art imitates nature, Art Nouveau, bow wave, bubble, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, duck, ducks, goldeneye, goldeneyes, ice, landing, marsh, refuge, splashing, water, water formations, waterfowl, wave, wave formation, winter|

Yesterday morning I took a series of a Common Goldeneye making waves as he landed in icy cold water in the marshes of Bear River MBR.

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Happy New Year’s Day 2021

By Mia McPherson|January 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, bathing, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, first bird, flight, flying, fog, geese, goose, grebe, grebes, low light, New Year's Day, photographed, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, seen, splashing, sunny, trees, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

It is a chilly 29°F where I live in northern Utah on New Year's Day 2021 and from my living room window I can see that it is foggy outside.

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