perky – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Song Sparrow Serenade – Happy Birthday Chris!

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-25T03:16:30-06:00February 24th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, marsh, Melospiza melodia, morning, perched, perky, phragmites, phrags, side view, sing, singing, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, starting, wetlands, winter|

I was serenaded by this Song Sparrow yesterday on the rut-filled road at Farmington Bay WMA. It might seem odd, but this bird reminded me of my youngest son.

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Perky Song Sparrow On A Greasewood Perch

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-13T04:36:29-06:00February 13th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Song Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, Greasewood, marsh, Melospiza melodia, perch, perched, perky, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, shrub, sky, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, wetlands, winter|

Last Friday I had a few seconds to photograph a perky Song Sparrow perched on a greasewood at Farmington Bay WMA just before I started to head towards home.

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October Marsh Wren

By Mia McPherson|2021-10-03T04:55:18-05:00October 3rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Marsh Wrens, Utah|Tags: active, adult, autumn, Cistothorus palustris, cocklebur, fall, fall colors, marsh, Marsh Wren, perky, secretive, wetlands, wren, wrens, Xanthium strumarium|

Four years ago I found a Marsh Wren perched on a Cocklebur on a bright October morning in the wetlands of the refuge.

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Young MacGillivray’s Warbler Images

By Mia McPherson|2022-06-05T06:36:54-05:00August 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: branch, canyon, fluffy, Geothlypis tolmiei, hatch year, immature, MacGillivray's Warbler, mountains, open, perched, perky, riparian habitat, saucy, summer, sunlight, warbler, warblers, willow, willow thicket, willows, wood-warblers, young|

Yesterday morning I was delighted to take a nice series of young MacGillivray's Warbler images not long after the sun lit up the willow thicket it was foraging in.

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Perky Adult Gray Catbird In The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-27T05:48:54-05:00April 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, canyon, catbird, catbirds, Dumetella carolinensis, fence post, Gray Catbird, mimids, mountains, perky, spring, Wasatch Mountains, wooden post|

The month of May is nearly upon us and for me that means it is time to start looking and listening for my first of year Gray Catbird.

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Fall Yellow-rumped Warbler In My Viewfinder

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-09T15:13:14-05:00September 20th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: fall, fall migration, leafy tree, migration, perched, perky, Setophaga coronata, warbler, warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbler|

For a few brief moments yesterday morning I had a lovely Yellow-rumped Warbler in my viewfinder at Farmington Bay that had perched in a leafy tree and I took full advantage of it being nearby.

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Cedar Waxwings Eating The Petals Of Blooming Hawthorns

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-30T19:27:12-05:00June 10th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, bloom, Bombycilla cedrorum, Cedar Waxwing, close up, Crataegus rivularis, eating, flowers, hawthorn, perky, petal, River Hawthorn, scratching, staring, waxwing, waxwings|

As I watched and photographed the Cedar Waxwings I realized "why" the hawthorn blossoms had appeared to look a bit damaged... the waxwings had been feasting on them!

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Immature White-crowned Sparrows Up In Box Elder County

By Mia McPherson|2021-10-20T04:57:41-05:00October 24th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: branch, Common Mullein, immature, juvenile, perched, perky, pose, rabbitbrush, sage, sparrow, sparrows, White-crowned Sparrow, wild rose, Zonotrichia leucophrys|

I've been collecting images of immature White-crowned Sparrows that I have taken over the past month or so up in Box Elder County because of all the different settings I have photographed them in.

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Warbling Vireo With Autumn Colors In Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-18T16:38:09-05:00September 4th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Little Dutch Hollow, Morgan County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: autumn colors, branch, canyon, Chokecherry, fall colors, mountains, perky, Prunus virginiana, summer, vireo, Vireo gilvus, vireos, Warbling Vireo|

I looked up and spotted a Warbling Vireo not only out in the open plus it had gorgeous fall colors in the background. I locked focus onto the vireo and started taking images in a long burst!

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Orange-crowned Warbler Feeding On Utah Serviceberry Berries

By Mia McPherson|2023-12-12T09:30:37-06:00August 6th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Orange-crowned Warblers, Shrubs, Utah|Tags: Amelanchier utahensis, berries, feeding, female, first year, hatch year, Leiothlypis celata, mid morning, mountain canyon, mountains, Orange-crowned Warbler, perched, perky, serviceberry, summer, Utah Serviceberry, warbler, warblers|

The Orange-crowned Warbler gave me quite a few different poses and I was happy to take photos of her and the Utah Serviceberry shrub while she moved around.

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Not So Mellow Yellow Warbler Males

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-03T03:49:25-05:00July 12th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Yellow Warblers|Tags: branch, foraging, ground, hawthorn, male, perky, Setophaga petechia, tree, warbler, warblers, wood-warblers, Yellow Warbler|

Yellow Warblers are anything but mellow instead they are frenetic, hyperactive, frenzied, energetic and move so quickly they sometimes make me dizzy trying to track them with my long lens.

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Photographing Lark Sparrows on Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-22T07:41:38-05:00May 25th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Lark Sparrows, Utah|Tags: adult, biting gnats, boulder, Chondestes grammacus, facial patterns, Lark Sparrow, perched, perky, photograph, photographing, resting, sky, sparrow, sparrows, Tintic Quartzite|

Lark Sparrows are only in Utah during their breeding season so whenever I have the opportunity to photograph them and their bold facial patterns I am thoroughly delighted.

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Continuing Male Belted Kingfisher and Snow-covered Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-07T15:12:34-05:00December 3rd, 2016|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Belted Kingfisher, fish, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, perched, perky, prey, snow, winter|

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph the continuing male Belted Kingfisher with the snow-covered marsh in the background, a few times he even had prey.

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Wonderful Photo Session with a White-crowned Sparrow

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-27T04:07:56-05:00June 13th, 2015|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: adult, birds, Interior West subspecies, Mountain subspecies, perky, singing, song birds, sparrow, sparrows, spring, valley, White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha|

Yesterday was bright and sunny in the Centennial Valley and after hearing this White-crowned Sparrow singing I felt like breaking out in song too.

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