battle – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

American Coots Fighting – Pond Pugilists

By Mia McPherson|2023-04-30T06:25:56-05:00April 30th, 2023|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, aggressive, American Coot, battle, battling, behavior, combative, come to blows, coot, coots, fight, fighting, kicking, knock down, park, pond, ruckus, Salt Lake County, spring, urban, Utah, water, winding down, wing slapped|

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I took my best-to-date images of fighting American Coots. I had a blast and laughed a lot while I took them.

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Greater-Sage Grouse Leks In March

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-26T10:37:43-05:00March 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: adult, battle, breeding behavior, breeding display, breeding grounds, breeding season, calling, Centrocercus urophasianus, displaying, early morning, face off, facing off, fight, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, lek, male, mate, pops, puffed up, sage-grouse, sounds, spar, sunrise, whistles|

March is a time when my mind wanders to windswept, high country sagebrush steppes where Greater-Sage Grouse will dance, fight and court on their leks as they have done for eons.

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Celebrating Seven Years in Utah – Photographing Birds, Wildlife and Scenery

By Mia McPherson|2020-01-15T05:49:56-06:00July 10th, 2016|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Daggett County, Davis County, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Kane County, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Short-eared Owls, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: American Bison, Asio flammeus, battle, Centrocercus urophasianus, Greater Sage-Grouse, grouse, lek, male, owls, photograph, photographing, Short-eared Owl, upland game birds, white wildflowers, wildflowers|

My journey in life has taken me to many places and I'm glad that it brought me to Utah where I am enjoying photographing birds, wildlife and scenery. Seven years ago today.

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Chukars and Fighting for the Right to Mate

By Mia McPherson|2021-09-04T04:35:24-05:00March 15th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, aggressive, Agonistic Behavior, Alectoris chukar, battle, breeding behavior, breeding season, Chukar, chukars, dominant male, fighting, loser, mating, mating rights, nesting territory, pinned down, sparring, spring, territorial, upland game birds|

The behavior of the Chukars indicates that the males are already acting territorial and fighting for the right to mate.

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