Antelope Island State Park

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

Male Long-billed Curlew in flight

By Mia McPherson, on May 16th, 2013%

Long-billed Curlew in flight

Last week; while fighting off a bloodsucking cloud of no-see-ums, I was able to photograph this male Long-billed Curlew as it flew past me. The background is the Great Salt Lake at the bottom, the distant Promontory Mountains and above them the sky.

The swarms of biting gnats have been dreadful so far this year and I am impatiently waiting for them to disappear but I’ll keep going to the island to photograph birds and wildlife, they won’t win.

Mia

~I’m out of town but will be back soon, please feel free to share this post with your friends and family!

Antelope Island Chukar on the rocks

By Mia McPherson, on May 10th, 2013%

Chukar

Yesterday was gorgeous, a few clouds to break up a solid blue sky, temps that were warm enough to not need a jacket, beautiful light and no lake stink blowing onto the island. It felt like spring, it smelled like spring and it even sounded like spring with all the birds adding to a merry chorus. It was delightful!

Even this Chukar seemed to be shrugging off the winter doldrums. Or maybe it was airing out its arm (wing) pits.

Mia

Nesting time for Barn Swallows

By Mia McPherson, on May 9th, 2013%

Barn Swallow resting on a boulder

Barn Swallows have migrated back to Utah and have already begun to build their nests to rear their broods from this season. These are awesome bug catchers and I’m grateful for every mosquito they devour because then there are less of them to bite me.

Barn Swallow with a beak full of mud

Barn Swallows probably built adobe homes long before humans every did, they use mud as plaster to form their nests and the rain that fell the night before and yesterday morning created puddles that the Barn Swallows were using to get the mud they need for their nests. This Barn Swallow has a serious load of mud in its bill.

Barn Swallow lifting off with nesting material in its bill

The Barn swallows are only at the puddle briefly; basically just long enough to fill their bills, and then they lift off. I think these swallows may be nesting near the marina on Antelope Island State Park some where. Maybe they will eat some of those biting gnats!

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