wetlands – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

My Birding By Ear Affliction

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2023|Categories: American Crows, Barred Owls, Birds, Blue Jays, Florida, Hillsborough County, Lettuce Lake Regional Park, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Crow, autumn, Barred Owl, birding by ear, Blue Jay, branches, corvids, Corvus brachyrhynchos, crow, crows, Cyanocitta cristata, epiphytic flowering plant, fall, hardwood hammock, ice, jay, jays, marsh, owl, owls, peanut, perched, Spanish Moss, Strix varia, Tillandsia usneoides, tree, wetlands, winter|

My birding by ear affliction isn't that I can't hear birds; it is that I can't not hear them. Even when I am on the phone with my friends.

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Immature American Herring Gull Testing The Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 6th, 2023|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: American Herring Gull, gull, gulls, ice, immature, insurrection, January 6th, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, testing, water, wetlands, winter, young|

It was January 6, 2021, when I photographed this immature American Herring Gull testing the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Hello 2023!

By Mia McPherson|January 1st, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, dense, fog, foggy, Great Blue Heron, heavy fog, heron, herons, ice, marsh, snow, wading birds, wetlands, winter|

Hello 2023! I hope that 2023 will be wonderful for each and everyone of us. Right now it isn't clear what 2023 will bring.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, American Kestrel, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, background, berries, Bewick's Swan, bill, birds of prey, Black-billed Magpie, blooming, blooms, blossoms, Bonasa umbellus, boulder, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Bubo virginianus, building, canyon, close up, corvids, Cygnus columbianus, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Davis County, desert, dirt, eagle, eagles, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fall, farmlands, female, fledgling, flight, flock, flowering, flowering shrub, flying, forest edge, fruiting shrub, fruits, fruting shrubs, Golden Eagle, gorget, Great Horned Owl, grebe, grebes, grouse, gull, gulls, Horned Grebe, hummingbird, hummingbirds, immature, juvenile, kestrel, kestrels, Larus delawarensis, lichen, lores, magpie, magpies, male, marsh, mountains, nest, nest box, nesting, nonbreeding plumage, owl, owls, perched, Pica hudsonia, Podiceps auritus, raptors, rare, reflection, Ring-billed Gull, riparian habitat, road, roadside, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Ruffed Grouse, Salpinctes obsoletus, Selasphorus platycercus, serviceberries, serviceberry, Setophaga petechia, shrub, spring, stink-eye, summer, swan, swans, thicket, tree, Tundra Swans, Utah, Utah Serviceberry, vagrant, warbler, warblers, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, wetlands, willow, willow thicket, willows, winter, winter plumage, wood-warbler, wood-warblers, wren, wrens, Yellow Warbler, young|

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

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Great Blue Heron On Ice At Farmington Bay WMA

By Mia McPherson|December 30th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Gandy Beach, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, beach, coastal, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, ice, marsh, Mia McPherson, oysters, photograph, pond, rocks, shadow, taking, Tampa Bay, Utah, vegetation, wading birds, water, wetlands, winter, yawning|

I had some fun photographing a Great Blue Heron on ice along with its shadow yesterday morning on a pond at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Some Mammals I Loved In 2022

By Mia McPherson|December 28th, 2022|Categories: American Badgers, Davis County, Elk, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Least Chipmunks, Long-tailed Weasels, Morgan County, Mule Deer, Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: adult, American Badger, autumn, baby, badger, badger burrow, badgers, canyon, Cervus canadensis, chipmunk, chipmunks, close up, cow, curious, cute, Elk, elks, fall, female, fence post, grazing, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, high Uintas, hillside, kissing, Least Chipmunk, Long-tailed Weasel, mammals, marmot, Marmota flaviventris, marmots, marsh, mountains, Mustela frenata, mustelids, Neotamias minimus, portrait, profile, roadside, rock, rock pile, rocks, rocky slope, shadow, spring, squirrel, squirrels, summer, summer coat, Taxidea taxus, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus, weasel, weasels, wetlands, wooden post, Yellow-bellied Marmot, young|

This morning I am sharing some photos of the mammals I loved finding, seeing, photographing and having in my viewfinder in 2022.

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Christmas Day American Kestrel

By Mia McPherson|December 25th, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, afternoon, American Kestrel, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, clouds, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Falcons of Utah, haze, hazy, male, marsh, mountains, peaks, perched, sky, snow, Wasatch Mountain Range, Wasatch Mountains, wetlands, winter, winter inversion, wooden post|

I photographed this Christmas Day American Kestrel in 2020 at Farmington Bay WMA. That Christmas Day was bright and sunny, today isn't going to be at all.

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First Winter Hooded Merganser

By Mia McPherson|December 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hooded Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, diving ducks, duck, ducks, fall, female, first winter, Glover Pond, hen, Hooded Merganser, ice, Lophodytes cucullatus, marsh, merganser, pond, preening, reflection, urban, Utah, water, waterfowl, wetlands|

Two days ago at one of my local ponds I was able to take only a few photos of a Hooded Merganser before it disappeared from my line of sight.

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Immature Rough-legged Hawk, Staring Prey And Feaking

By Mia McPherson|December 15th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, Davis County, fall, feaking, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, landing, light morph, looking, marsh, nest box, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, staring, vole, wetlands, young|

This morning I am sharing photos of an immature Rough-legged Hawk, its staring prey, of the bird feaking and a bonus image that shows the tongue of the hawk.

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Birds On Ice In Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|December 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Common Ravens, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, Canada Goose, Common Raven, corvids, Corvus corax, Cygnus buccinator, Cygnus columbianus, feathers, geese, goose, gull, gulls, ice, Larus delawarensis, marsh, phragmites, phrags, pond, raven, ravens, Ring-billed Gull, shadow, stretching, swan, swans, Trumpeter Swan, Tundra Swan, urban, vegetation, walking, wary, waterfowl, wetlands, wings, winter|

This morning I'm sharing photos of five bird species that I find on ice during the coldest months of the year in marsh and urban locations.

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Queenfisher – 2023 ABA Bird of the Year

By Mia McPherson|December 11th, 2022|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: 2023 ABA Bird of the Year, adult, autumn, Belted Kingfisher, branch, branches, canyon, creek, Davis County, fall, female, Glover Pond, kingfisher, kingfishers, marsh, Megaceryle alcyon, mountains, perched, Queenfisher, sky, spring, stream, throne, wetlands, winter|

The 2023 ABA Bird of the Year was revealed yesterday evening. The bird of the year is the Queenfisher, also known as the female Belted Kingfisher.

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Immature Red-tailed Hawk In A Safety Zone

By Mia McPherson|December 4th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, Circus hudsonius, defensive mode, dive, dive bombing, fall, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, marsh, Nothern Harrier, perched, post, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, resting, safety zone, sign, wetlands, wooden post, young|

About two years ago, I photographed this immature Red-tailed Hawk resting above a safety zone sign at Farmington Bay WMA on a cold morning.

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Bright Winter Light VS A Winter Whiteout

By Mia McPherson|December 3rd, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Antelope Island Causeway, back view, bright, Cygnus columbianus, field of snow, fog, ice, light, marsh, snow, standing, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, wetlands, white on white, white out, winter|

Earlier this year I photographed a Tundra Swan in bright winter light that today I am comparing to another swan image I took in winter whiteout conditions.

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White-faced Ibis Foraging In A Wetland

By Mia McPherson|November 29th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: adult, autumn, fall, foraging, ibis, ibises, marsh, Plegadis chihi, vegetation, wading birds, walking, water, wetlands, White-faced Ibis|

Although much of the water there had iced over, I was tickled to find this White-faced Ibis foraging in the wetlands of Farmington Bay WMA last week.

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Immature Northern Shrike Jackpot!

By Mia McPherson|November 26th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Shrikes, Utah|Tags: autumn, Common Mullein, fall, immature, Lanius borealis, marsh, mullein, mulleins, Northern Shrike, perched, shrike, shrikes, Verbascum thapsus, wetlands, young|

I felt like I had hit a jackpot yesterday when I found an immature Northern Shrike perched on a Common Mullein at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Tundra Swan Framed By Phrags

By Mia McPherson|November 17th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Cygnus columbianus, fall, framed, ice, marsh, phragmites, phrags, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, water, waterfowl, wetlands|

When I explored the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on Monday I was able to take photos of one Tundra Swan framed by phrags from the dirt road.

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Ring-billed Gull Feeding Frenzy Excitement

By Mia McPherson|November 16th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: autumn, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, fall, feeding, flight, flying, frenzy, gull, gulls, Larus delawarensis, marsh, Promontory Mountains, Ring-billed Gull, Utah, video, water, wetlands|

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago I witnessed several Ring-billed Gull feeding frenzies out on the marshes of the refuge.

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Great Blue Heron On Driftwood

By Mia McPherson|November 15th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, autumn, driftwood, fall, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, marsh, morning, standing, wading birds, water, wetlands|

I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge early yesterday morning where the first bird I photographed was a Great Blue Heron standing on driftwood.

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My First Of Season Common Goldeneye

By Mia McPherson|November 12th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, Bear River, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, fall, first of season, lifting off, male, pond, preening, river, taking off, urban, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

I found my first of season Common Goldeneye near a stand of rushes while walking around a local pond after a light skiff of snow had fallen overnight.

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Winter California And American Herring Gull Comparison In Utah

By Mia McPherson|November 8th, 2022|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, beach, Bear River, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, breeding plumage, California Gull, coastal, comparison, composite, Definitive Alternate Plumage, Definitive Basic Plumage, floating, Gulf of Mexico, gull, gulls, ice, ID features, identification, Larus californicus, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, river, sand, side by side, water, wetlands, winter, winter plumage|

Since I frequently get asked which is which I thought this would be a good time to do a winter California and American Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.

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Fall Views At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|November 6th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Scenics, Utah|Tags: auto tour loop, autumn, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, calm, clouds, fall, fog, grasses, ground fog, marsh, mountains, Promontory Mountains, road, sky, sunrise, trees, Utah, vegetation, water, wetlands|

Yes, I go to Bear River MBR to find and photograph birds, but I also go there to unwind and find comfort in the marsh and the magnificent surroundings.

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Marsh Wren At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|November 5th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Marsh Wrens, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Cistothorus palustris, clinging, fall, hanging, marsh, Marsh Wren, perspective, phragmites, phrags, upside down, wetlands, wren, wrens|

This morning I am sharing this photo of a tiny Marsh Wren hanging upside down in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge simply because I like it.

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American Coot Reflection

By Mia McPherson|November 3rd, 2022|Categories: American Coots, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, autumn, coot, coots, fall, feet, Fulica americana, marsh, reflection, reflections, vegetation, water, wetlands|

This American Coot caught my eye on my latest trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge three days ago in part because of the still water and the reflection of the bird.

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Immature Clark’s Grebe And A Mystery

By Mia McPherson|November 2nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: Aechmophorus clarkii, autumn, begging, Clark's Grebe, fall, feathers, grebe, grebes, immature, juvenal plumage, juvenile, loop, marsh, molt, twisted, water, waterbirds, wetlands, young|

I came across an immature Clark's Grebe on Monday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I took photos of the grebe because I could see something on its fluffy neck.

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Surprise Swamp Sparrow At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|November 1st, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Swamp Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, fall, foraging, marsh, Melospiza georgiana, phragmites, phrags, rare, rear view, sparrow, sparrows, Swamp Sparrow, uncommon, wetlands|

At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning, I was surprised to find a Swamp Sparrow near the far southern corner of the auto tour loop.

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Song Sparrow Singing On An October Morning

By Mia McPherson|October 29th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, fall, frost, frosty, knowledge, marsh, Melospiza melodia, perched, phragmites, phrags, singing, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, wetlands|

This morning I'm sharing a simple singing Song Sparrow photographed on a late October morning. Or is it truly all that simple?

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Rough-legged Hawk Season Has Begun

By Mia McPherson|October 25th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, back view, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, close up, frost, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, light morph, male, marsh, perched, portrait, raptors, refuge information sign, Rough-legged Hawk, wetlands, winter|

Rough-legged Hawk season has begun in northern Utah. I spotted my first of season Rough-legged Hawks on the wing last Friday.

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Greater Yellowlegs Trio In Early Morning Light

By Mia McPherson|October 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Utah|Tags: autumn, fall, foraging, Greater Yellowlegs, marsh, morning light, reflections, shorebirds, Tringa melanoleuca, water, wetlands, yellowlegs|

While I was at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago I saw a small flock of Greater Yellowlegs foraging, preening and resting in the wetlands in early morning light.

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Band-winged and Striped Meadowhawk Dragonfly Photos

By Mia McPherson|October 18th, 2022|Categories: Band-winged Meadowhawks, Davis County, Dragonflies, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Striped Meadowhawks, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Band-winged Meadowhawk, boulder, dragonflies, dragonfly, fall, female, hanging, male, marsh, meadowhawk, meadowhawks, odonata, resting, rock, Striped Meadowhawk, Sympetrum pallipes, Sympetrum semicinctum, wetlands|

At Farmington Bay WMA yesterday I saw and photographed two kinds of meadowhawk dragonflies including this Band-winged Meadowhawk resting on a boulder.

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Calling Ring-billed Gull Tongue

By Mia McPherson|October 17th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: adult, bill, calling, close up, gull, gulls, Larus delawarensis, marsh, open, portrait, Ring-billed Gull, sky, tongue, wetlands|

Late last month I had the opportunity to take portraits of a calling Ring-billed Gull while I was looking for birds at Farmington Bay WMA.

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