Phasianus colchicus

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

Funny Monday Birds

By Mia McPherson, on March 25th, 2013%

Upside down Chukar

Just some funny images of birds for a Monday. These photos just beg for humorous captions.

This one could be “I swear I heard something rip” or “Boy, my skinny legs make my butt look fat”.

Ring-necked Duck attitude

This one could be “I told you get off MY pond!” or “Get outta my face, no paparazzi allowed!”.

Hiding female Ring-necked Pheasant

I think this female Ring-necked Pheasant thought if she crouched down that I couldn’t see her. I couldn’t come up with a great caption for this image, maybe you can? For any of them for that matter and the funnier the better!

Happy Monday

Mia

High key Ring-necked Pheasant hen

By Mia McPherson, on February 23rd, 2013%

Ring-necked Pheasant hen – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, not baited

Just a simple high key image of a hen Ring-necked Pheasant this morning that was taken in January at Farmington Bay WMA in Davis County, Utah. The heavy layer of snow had made it difficult for the pheasants to forage and due to that they were out in the open more than normal.

Because of the amount of snow we have had here this winter in the Salt Lake Valley I have been able to take lots of high key images of birds and animals but I am looking forward to seeing some green now!

Mia

Ring-necked Pheasant males in the snow

By Mia McPherson, on January 17th, 2013%

Male Ring-necked Pheasant running down a snow bank – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in

Male Ring-necked Pheasants are far more colorful than the females and in snow they seem even more vividly colored. These upland game birds are foraging for food in the open right now because the deep snow has buried their food and I have been seeing them feeding along the road where the snow has been plowed or very close to vegetation where they can dig through the snow to find seeds from the plants.

Ring-necked Pheasant male – Nikon D300, f9, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 321mm, natural light, not baited or called in

Two days ago I posted a female Ring-necked Pheasant in the snow and mentioned that there were males nearby, this is one of the males.

One of my early childhood memories is of my grandfather using Ring-necked Pheasant feathers to make fishing flies, watching him tying the flies fascinated me. I didn’t know then how much patience that required.

I normally see far more female Ring-necked Pheasants than males so I am always happy when I am able to find a male in good light and out in the open.

Mia

More Ring-necked Pheasant images

Ring-necked Pheasant hen in snow

By Mia McPherson, on January 15th, 2013%

Ring-necked Pheasant hen in snow – Nikon D300, f8, 1/2500, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

I have been noticing more Ring-necked Pheasants than usual of late but that it mostly because the birds don’t blend well into the snow and we have had plenty of the white stuff fall the past few weeks. Yesterday I spotted this hen Ring-necked Pheasant very close to where I photographed a Great Blue Heron a few days ago but this hen was on top of the creek bank.

Female Ring-necked Pheasant – Nikon D300, f8, 1/2500, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

The pheasant hens aren’t as colorful as the males but I find them every bit as appealing because of the intricate and cryptic feather patterns that they have. In this image the furrow in the snow behind the hen was created when another pheasant moved through the drift.

Ring-necked Pheasant hen lifting off – Nikon D300, f8, 1/2000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited

In the frame above the female Ring-necked was lifting off, I love how I can see her right wingtip in the snow, how I can see the pattern her wingtip made in it, the fanned out tail and the wonderful pose.

I took loads of photos of this hen and I suspect I will post more of her in the future.

Mia

More Ring-necked Pheasant images