Icterids

Potpourri of Birds from this week

By Mia McPherson, on May 25th, 2013%

Chukar on Antelope Island

It was a busy week and I did take tons of images from Antelope Island, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County and yesterday in Tooele County. On Antelope Island the Chukars were up calling on the rocks or foraging in the grasses near Sagebrush. This one perched on a rock that had water in the background that was a brilliant blue.

California Gull

After some much needed rain there were a few puddles in areas of the island and this California Gull was taking full advantage of having fresh water available for a bath. In my opinion that is a pretty handsome looking bird with its head held tall and its wings spread.

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was hopping with activity, the male Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds seemed to be calling all over the auto tour route. The wind was blowing while this male was perched on the Phragmites stalk, it was like trying to photograph a bird on a long, thin spring the way it bounced around in the wind. I dumped quite a few images into my delete bin because of that wind & less than sharp images.

Clark’s Grebe

Clark’s Grebes were also a highlight, who couldn’t appreciate these striking Grebes with their black and white plumage, cherry red eyes, sharp bill, curvy neck and black cap? I sure enjoy watching and photographing them especially during this time of the year when they are defending their territories. One never knows when the action might start!

Eastern Kingbird

I was tickled to see both Western and Eastern Kingbirds at the refuge, their chattering makes me want to giggle. I couldn’t tell what this Eastern Kingbird was chattering at, maybe there was another bird outside of my field of view. At any rate, I think that both kingbird species are dapper looking birds.

Forster’s Tern

Forster’s Terns were making their presence on the refuge known as they cruised over the fresh water impoundment in search of prey and making spectacular dives when they located it. With a black cap and black eyes it can be a challenge to get a catch light in their eyes and in this frame I was delighted to have such great light.

Lark Sparrow

Tooele County offered fine feathered friends too, like this handsome Lark Sparrow perched on rusty old barbed wire. Normally I prefer natural perches but there is something about rusty barbed wire that appeals to me.

Mourning Dove

It seem to me that the Mourning Dove population has blossomed this spring, I am seeing them in high numbers in places I normally don’t see many. This dove was perching along side a road on a well weathered fence post in the early morning light.

These are but a few of the birds I photographed this week in various Utah locations and all of them made great subjects!

Mia

Western Meadowlark in flight

By Mia McPherson, on May 22nd, 2013%

Western Meadowlark in flight – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

Yesterday was my first time out shooting since returning from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, bad weather had kept me from being in the field. It was wonderful to be back on Antelope Island State Park, seeing the birds, animals and how things had changed in just a bit over a week.

It was also wonderful to have beautiful light.

This Western Meadowlark lifted off from a Sagebrush and I was able to track it and capture this image as soon as it was airborne. I’ve found it difficult to get images of Western Meadowlarks in flight because they move so quickly.

Mia

Bird Sampler for April 28 through May 4, 2013

By Mia McPherson, on May 4th, 2013%

Burrowing Owl adult

I wanted to share a sampler of bird images that I have taken over the past week in Davis and Box Elder Counties.

I took this Burrowing Owl image two days ago. There is just something about these owls that delights me every time I see them.

Canada Goose

Canada Geese are common here in northern Utah but they aren’t common every where, just ask people in Florida. I like Canada Geese.

Killdeer on a rock

Some of the noisiest shorebirds I have ever come across are the Killdeer though this one was silent it did perched nicely on top of a rock at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. I really like the smooth background.

Male Ring-necked Pheasant

I photographed this male Ring-necked Pheasant displaying near the road that goes to the auto tour route of Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, if there was another male in the area I could not see it but this pose indicates the type of territorial behavior I see when two male pheasants are getting ready to have it out.

Hundreds of (thousands) swallows at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge

The air is alive with midges and swallows at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, I can’t tell how many of the 5 species that inhabit the refuge are in this frame but the huge numbers of swallows is very impressive.

Turkey Vulture in Box Elder County

The Turkey Vultures came back to Utah several weeks ago but I haven’t had many opportunities to photograph them this spring, two days ago we came across some that were warming in the early morning sunlight in Box Elder County. I’m not sure Turkey Vultures could be called beautiful but they are a fascinating species and they do clean up the environment.

Western Grebes in a courtship display

I saw these two Western Grebes displaying and hoped that they would rush, they did but they rushed with their backs to me. I’ll keep trying to get them rushing towards me.

Western Meadowlark stretching

Western Meadowlarks are every where, singing from the tops of their perches, flitting about in a hurry, preening and stretching like this one on Antelope Island.

I saw many more birds in the past week, all of them wonderful, all of them fascinating and every one a great subject to photograph.

Mia

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are back in numbers

By Mia McPherson, on April 19th, 2013%

Flock of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Yellow-headed Blackbirds are filling the marshy areas of Utah with their odd mechanical call once again as the males court the females for their annual spring fling. If you have never heard their calls you can listen to it here (about halfway down the page). I photographed this small flock of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds last April on Antelope Island Sate Park.

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird

The auto tour route at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge is a terrific location to get up close to Yellow-headed Blackbirds where during the peak of breeding season you can see thousand of them flitting about or perched on the top of cattails, grasses and rushes. The males are easily identified by their black bodies and namesake yellow heads.

Mia

A Lark, or two, or four

By Mia McPherson, on April 5th, 2013%

The merry lark he soars on high, No worldly thought o’ertakes him. He sings aloud to the clear blue sky, And the daylight that awakes him. -Hartley Coleridge

Male Horned Lark displaying

Hartley Coleridge lived in England from 1796 to 1849 and I’m certain he wasn’t writing about the Larks we have in North America but I thought it was a suitable quote for a post on larks. The only native true lark that lives and breeds in North America is the Horned Lark. The male above was photographed in Tooele County, Utah a few days ago as he displayed on top of a rock. I didn’t see a female nearby but perhaps he did.

Female Lark Bunting

Another bird with “lark” in its name is the Lark Bunting which is actually in the sparrow family. I photographed this female (please correct me if I am wrong in case this is a non-breeding male) at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana in June of 2011. So far the only opportunity I have had to photograph this species is the day I took this image.

Lark Sparrow

The Lark Sparrow earns its name by singing like a lark and I am expecting their return to Utah any day now. I love that Harlequin pattern on their faces. This Lark Sparrow was photographed last May on Antelope Island State Park.

Western Meadowlark

Western Meadowlarks aren’t larks or sparrows, they are Icterids but they sing like a lark too. This one was photographed yesterday on Antelope Island State Park. Right now they are singing on territory and they don’t seem able to stop them selves from singing even when they are hunting or eating food.

There is a small breeding population of Sky Larks that were introduced near Vancouver that originated from Britain, Sky Larks that are seen elsewhere are likely vagrants from Asia.

Mia