cattail – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Urban Red-winged Blackbird Male Singing

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-23T04:29:49-06:00February 23rd, 2024|Categories: Birds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, cattail, male, park, perched, pond, Red-winged Blackbird, singing, songster, urban, water, winter|

I dug way back into my files this morning to share this urban Red-winged Blackbird male singing. The date was February 23, 2014, the location was my local pond.

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Mix Of Urban Birds Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|2023-04-10T03:34:45-05:00April 10th, 2023|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-winged Blackbirds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Savannah Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Utah|Tags: accipiter, Accipiter striatus, Accipiters, adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, American Robin, Aythya americana, basketball backstop, blackbird, blackbirds, branches, cattail, close up, cormorant, cormorants, curb, Double-crested Cormorant, drake, duck, ducks, edge, habitat, hawks, immature, landing, male, Nannopterum auritus, neighborhood, park, Passerculus sandwichensis, perched, pond, portrait, raptors, Red-winged Blackbird, Redhead, redheads, robin, robins, Savannah Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, sky, small in frame, snow, sparrow, sparrows, splash, splashy, spring, stinkeye, thrush, thrushes, tree, Turdus migratorius, urban, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, young|

This mix of urban birds were taken over a two day period close to home. Birds, no matter where they are, bring me joy, happiness, and even laughter.

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How I Found This Secretive Virginia Rail At Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|2021-10-16T05:35:26-05:00October 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Virginia Rails|Tags: adult, autumn, bill, cattail, cattails, cold, cover, Davis County, fall, Farmington Bay WMA, flapping wings, heading, marsh, morning, open, preened, rail, rails, Rallus limicola, reflection, stretching, sunlight, tiptoes, Utah, Virginia Rail, water, wetlands|

Today I wanted to write about how I found this secretive Virginia Rail in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday morning.

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Marsh Wren Nesting Season Begins In March

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-19T16:31:55-05:00March 7th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Marsh Wrens, Utah|Tags: adult, cattail, Cistothorus palustris, male, marsh, Marsh Wren, nesting material, nesting season, spring, wetlands, wren, wrens|

On my last visit to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I heard the unmistakable song of a Marsh Wren singing and throughout the morning I heard more of their songs.

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Towhees, Warblers, Kinglets, Gnatcatchers – Oh My!

By Mia McPherson|2024-04-05T04:58:53-05:00September 26th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Common Yellowthroats, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Spotted Towhees, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: Audubon's warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, cattail, cattails, Common Yellowthroat, Corthylio calendula, Geothlypis trichas, gnatcatchers, Greasewood, kinglets, Moth Mullein, Pipilo maculatus, Polioptila caerulea, rabbitbrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Setophaga coronata, sparrows, Spotted Towhee, sunflowers, towhees, warblers, wildflowers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, yellowthroats|

It has been a long time since I have had such a birdy day and the towhees, warblers, kinglets, gnatcatchers and the rest of the birds that I saw thrilled me all morning long.

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Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Displaying at Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-22T08:25:10-05:00September 15th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: adult, blackbird, blackbirds, calls, cattail, courtship display, displaying, male, mating display, territorial behavior, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, Yellow-headed Blackbird|

When I photographed this male Yellow-headed Blackbird displaying at Bear River MBR it was a beautiful May morning and all the birds there were singing.

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Juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-07T04:20:00-05:00March 12th, 2016|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, begging, cattail, fed, feeding, flight, flying, Hirundo rustica, immature, juvenile, marsh, nictitating membrane, perched, swallow, swallows, wetlands, young|

Last year in mid August I photographed a very cooperative juvenile Barn Swallow at Bear River MBR and realized I hadn't posted any images of the bird or written about my encounter with it.

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