Willow Pond – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

American Robin – A Dawn Song Recording

By Mia McPherson|March 15th, 2025|Categories: American Robins, Arkansas, Birds, Salt Lake County, Sebastian County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, dawn song, grass, park, recording, robin, robins, Salt Lake County, spring, thrush, thrushes, Turdus migratorius, urban, Utah, Willow Pond|

This time of year, American Robins start to sing their dawn song about an hour before sunrise. Not just one American Robin—all of them in the neighborhood.

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Common Loon vs Fishing Lure

By Mia McPherson|February 12th, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Environment, Fishing Line Dangers, Salt Lake County|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, Common Loon, danger, discarded fishing tackle, fishing gear, fishing hook, fishing line, fishing lure, Gavia immer, injury, loon, loons, park, pond, spring, urban, water, waterbirds, Willow Pond|

Discarded fishing lures and other tackle can injure, strangle, and kill birds. I don't know how the story ended for this hooked Common Loon.

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Common Loon: The 2025 ABA Bird of the Year

By Mia McPherson|January 3rd, 2025|Categories: Common Loons, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: ABA Bird of the Year, adult, close up, Common Loon, Gavia immer, loon, loons, migrating, migration, over, park, pond, portrait, Salt Lake County, spring, stopping, urban, Utah, water, waterbirds, Willow Pond|

Yesterday, the American Birding Association announced that the Common Loon is the 2025 ABA Bird of the Year, and I was so excited. I love these striking loons!

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California Gull On Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, authentic, authenticity, California Gull, close up, gull, gulls, handout, ice, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, pond, profile, thin ice, Willow Pond, winter|

I went down to my local pond yesterday afternoon where the first bird I photographed was an adult California Gull standing on thin ice.

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Preening Ring-billed Gull in a Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|July 3rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: forecast, gull, gulls, high temps, Larus delawarensis, preening, Ring-billed Gull, Salt Lake Valley, snow, snow storm, urban, Willow Pond|

I photographed this preening Ring-billed Gull in a snow storm in January of this year at a pond near where I live and it was pretty chilly that day.

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Adult Snow Goose on Willow Pond

By Mia McPherson|December 7th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Snow Geese, Utah|Tags: adult, Anser caerulescens, geese, goose, lone, migration, pond, Snow Goose, urban, water, waterfowl, Willow Pond, winter|

There were several hundred Canada Geese on the pond and because I have seen reports of Cackling and Snow Geese in the area I scanned the pond with my lens and spotted a lone Snow Goose.

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