Month: May 2021 - Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-26T10:14:55-06:00May 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Lazuli Buntings, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: adult, barbed wire, basking, branch, bunting, buntings, Buteos, canyon, fence, fence post, foothills, foraging, forest, hawk, hawks, House Wren, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, kingbird, kingbirds, Lazuli Bunting, male, mixed deciduous conifer forest, morning, mountains, Passerina amoena, perched, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, sky, sky island mountains, spring, sun, Troglodytes aedon, Tyrannus verticalis, tyrant flycatchers, Utah Juniper, vireo, Vireo gilvus, vireos, Warbling Vireo, warmth, Western Kingbird, wild rose, wooden post, wren, wrens|

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.

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West Desert Rock Wren Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-31T16:06:50-05:00May 30th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, desert, early morning light, fence post, foothills, gnarly, juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus, singing, sky island mountains, spring, Utah Juniper, wooden post, wren, wrens|

I have been able to take more Rock Wren photos in the West Desert the last two times I have wandered out there.

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Male Western Tanager Close Up Image

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-29T06:35:00-05:00May 29th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Tanagers|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, close up, fence, foothills, juniper forest, male, mountains, perched, Piranga ludoviciana, sky island mountains, spring, unmistakable, Western Tanager, wire fence|

Two days ago I had the opportunity to photograph a male Western Tanager up close in the foothills of some of the sky island mountains in the West Desert of Utah.

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Female Black-chinned Hummingbird And A Knothole

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-28T05:24:26-05:00May 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, behavior, Black-chinned Hummingbird, canyon, female, flight, flying, forest, hummingbird, knothole, mountains, sky island mountains, spring, tree, trees|

Yesterday while out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert I spotted a female Black-chinned Hummingbird repeatedly checking out a knothole in a tree.

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Violet-green Swallow Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-27T04:56:39-05:00May 27th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: adult, alpine forest, branch, branches, canyon, female, flight, flying, forest, guarding, male, mountains, nesting cavity, scuffling, sky, sky island mountains, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta thalassina, Tooele County, tree, trees, tussling, Utah, Violet-green Swallow, west desert|

Yesterday I was able to take the Violet-green Swallow photos that I have been dreaming of since I first moved to Utah in 2009.

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Spring Male American Goldfinch

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-26T06:15:47-05:00May 26th, 2021|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, American Goldfinch, blooming, blooms, branches, breeding plumage, canyon, Common Dandelion, Dandelion, dandelions, finch, finches, male, mountains, perched, Spinus tristis, Taraxacum officinale, wildflowers, willows, yellow wildflowers|

Yesterday I photographed this male American Goldfinch and thought about how he is as bright as the dandelions that are blooming now in the mountains.

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Resting Willow Flycatcher

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-25T04:56:10-05:00May 25th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: adult, branch, canyon, Empidonax traillii, Empids, flycatcher, flycatchers, forest, mountains, perched, resting, riparian habitat, spring, willow, Willow Flycatcher|

The last time I was up in the Wasatch Mountains I heard several "FITZ-bew" calls but didn't see a single Willow Flycatcher out in the open.

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Subadult Peregrine Falcon

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-24T05:52:59-05:00May 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Peregrine Falcons, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult plumage, birds of prey, calling, desert, Falco peregrinus, falcon, falcons, fence post, First Spring, flight, flying, foothills, immature, juvenal plumage, lift off, lifting off, molt, molting, Peregrine Falcon, raptors, second year bird, sky, spring, sub-adult, subadult, take off, taking off, wooden post, young|

Last week before I found the Rock Wren I wrote about I also found a subadult Peregrine Falcon perched on a wooden post in the West Desert.

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Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers And A Butterfly

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-09T04:59:37-06:00May 23rd, 2021|Categories: California Tortoiseshell Butterflies, Shrubs, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: Abies concolor, aspen, aspens, bloom, blooming, blossoms, butterflies, butterfly, California Tortoiseshell butterfly, cone, cones, currant, currants, Douglas fir, fir, firs, Gray's Biscuitroot, Hydrophyllum occidentale, Lomatium grayi, Nymphalis californica, Populus tremuloides, prunus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quaking Aspen, Ribes cereum, shrubs, spring, trees, Wax Currant, Western Chokecherry, Western Waterleaf, White Fir|

On a recent trip to the West Desert sky island mountains in Tooele County I found my lens pointed at trees, shrubs, wildflowers and a butterfly.

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Nesting Lark Sparrow Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-22T04:54:46-05:00May 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Lark Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Artemisia tridentata, barbed wire, Big Sagebrush, bill, Chondestes grammacus, desert, fence, foothills, gathering, grass, grasses, Lark Sparrow, mountains, nesting material, nesting materials, sage, sagebrush, sparrow, sparrows|

One of the first birds I heard singing three days ago in the West Desert of Tooele County was a Lark Sparrow perched on top of a sagebrush.

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Spring Female Cassin’s Finch

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-21T06:23:24-05:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, alpine creek, branches, canyon, Cassin's Finch, creek, creekside, female, finch, finches, Haemorhous cassinii, mountains, paying attention, sky island mountains, spring, willows|

When this female Cassin's Finch landed next to a creek two days ago in the West Desert I was happy to take her photo.

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Singing Rock Wren In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-31T15:45:16-05:00May 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, clod, desert, dirt, end, foothills, grass, grasses, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, perched, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, singing, sky island mountains, spring, tail, Tooele County, Utah, Utah Juniper, west desert, wren, wrens|

Yesterday when I spotted a Rock Wren singing from the top of a juniper in Utah's West Desert I hoped to take a few decent photos of it before it flew away.

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Spring Orange-crowned Warbler

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-19T04:56:48-05:00May 19th, 2021|Categories: Orange-crowned Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, Leiothlypis celata, Orange-crowned Warbler, perched, spring, Utah Serviceberry, warbler, warblers, wood-warblers|

I was happy to spot and photograph my first of season Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Uinta Ground Squirrel And An Ant

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-18T05:12:22-05:00May 18th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, ant, eating, grass, grasses, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, insect, spring, squirrel, squirrels, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus|

Last week while up in the Wasatch Mountains I took a series of close up images of this Uinta Ground Squirrel plus an ant on its right front leg.

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Resting Ruddy Turnstone

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-17T06:20:46-05:00May 17th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: adult, Arenaria interpres, beach, breeding plumage, close up, coast, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, male, resting, Ruddy Turnstone, sand, shorebirds, sky, turnstone, turnstones, water|

Twelve years ago today I was on the beach at Fort De Soto County Park focused on photographing a male Ruddy Turnstone resting on the warm sand with the Gulf behind him.

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Male Belted Kingfisher With His Catch Of The Day

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-16T05:15:36-05:00May 16th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Belted Kingfisher, bill, branch, canyon, catch, catch of the day, creek, fingerling, fish, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, mountains, prey, swallowing, trout|

Three days ago I watched as a male Belted Kingfisher caught a small fish, landed on a branch and swallowed his catch of the day high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Bluebells, Currants, Warblers And A Duck

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-15T05:59:28-05:00May 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Morgan County, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, alpine, Anas platyrhynchos, bath, bathing, beaver damage, bloom, blooming, blossoms, blue wildflowers, branch, branches, canyon, creek, creekside, currant, currants, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, flowering, flowers, fork, Golden Currant, male, Mallard, mallards, Mertensia ciliata, Mountain Bluebells, mountains, perched, pink wildflowers, purple wildflowers, Ribes aureum, riparian zone, Setophaga petechia, shrub, singing, spring, stump, tapestry, warbler, warblers, water, water droplets, wildflowers, Yellow Warbler, yellow wildflowers|

I spent my morning up in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday and came home with photos of bluebells, currants, warblers, and a duck.

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Spring Green-tailed Towhee Photo

By Mia McPherson|2022-07-10T08:21:12-05:00May 14th, 2021|Categories: Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, canyon, Green-tailed Towhee, mew call, mountains, perched, Pipilo chlorurus, raised crown, sparrow, sparrows, towhee, towhees|

Two days ago I was able to take my first of season Green-tailed Towhee photos in Morgan County high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Springtime Vesper Sparrow Images

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-07T10:34:39-06:00May 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, back view, canyon, close up, grass, grasses, leaning, metal post, mountains, perched, Poocetes gramineus, post, rock, sage, sagebrush, shoulder, singing, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains|

Yesterday morning I heard my first Vesper Sparrow of spring singing high in the Wasatch Mountains. I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time.

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Coyote Stalking Adult Sandhill Cranes

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-12T05:52:46-05:00May 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Coyotes, Sandhill Cranes, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Antigone canadensis, Canis latrans, canyon, Coyote, coyotes, crane, cranes, flight, flying, grasses, lifted off, mountains, sagebrush, Sandhill Cranes, stalking, took flight, walking, willows|

Yesterday morning while up in the Wasatch Mountains I heard Sandhill Cranes calling repeatedly and when I spotted them I also found a Coyote near the cranes.

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It’s Time For Hummingbird Photography

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-11T05:43:48-05:00May 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, branch, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, canyon, favorite perch, hummingbird, hummingbirds, male, mountains, perched, Selasphorus platycercus, stretching, wings|

The wildflowers and flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom in the mountains and canyons and for me that means it's time for hummingbird photography.

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Male Belted Kingfisher And Pussy Willows

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-10T05:38:23-05:00May 10th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, alert, background, Belted Kingfisher, branch, canyon, catkins, creek, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, mountains, perched, pussy willows, spring, well weathered, willows|

Saturday morning I was delighted when a male Belted Kingfisher flew in and perched in front of pussy willow catkins high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Spring Yellow Warbler Joy

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-09T06:13:43-05:00May 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, branch, canyon, male, mountains, perched, Setophaga petechia, spring, warbler, warblers, willow, willows, wood-warblers, Yellow Warbler|

I took my first of year Yellow Warbler photos in the Wasatch Mountains when I drove up into the mountains on Friday morning.

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My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-08T05:16:27-05:00May 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Actitis macularia, adult, breeding plumage, calling, canyon, creek, Definitive Alternate Plumage, Definitive Basic Plumage, mountains, nonbreeding plumage, perched, sandpiper, sandpipers, shorebirds, Spotted Sandpiper, spring, stump, water|

I took my first of season Spotted Sandpiper photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as I sat in my Jeep next to a creek.

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Spring Barn Swallow Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-07T05:01:18-05:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, close up, Hirundo rustica, marsh, morning, perched, phragmites, phrags, resting, spring, swallow, swallows, wetlands|

This morning I wanted to share two Barn Swallow photos that I took two mornings ago on the north side of the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Preening American White Pelican Optical Illusion

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-06T04:35:26-05:00May 6th, 2021|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, marsh, optical illusion, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, preening, spring, water, wetlands|

This single American White Pelican photo contains an optical illusion that confused my brain when I first viewed it and confuses my brain still.

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Spring Black-crowned Night Heron Butt Shot

By Mia McPherson|2022-04-29T04:28:12-05:00May 5th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-crowned Night Heron, butt shot, close up, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, phragmites, phrags, portrait, reflections, wading birds, water, wetlands, winter|

Some photos just make me laugh and this spring Black-crowned Night Heron butt shot image does just that.

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Spring Eared Grebe Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-04T05:14:56-05:00May 4th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Eared Grebes, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, chase, Eared Grebe, fish, grebe, grebes, marsh, Podiceps nigricollis, prey, spring, water, wetlands|

One morning last week I had many opportunities to take Eared Grebe photos at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge including one grebe with a large fish.

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Drake Cinnamon Teal In Flight

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-27T19:37:06-06:00May 3rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Cinnamon Teals, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, Cinnamon Teal, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, flight, flying, male, marsh, on the wing, Spatula cyanoptera, teal, teals, wetlands|

On the same morning that I photographed the drake Northern Shoveler flying by at the refuge I also photographed a drake Cinnamon Teal in flight.

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Six Years Of Daily Posts At On The Wing Photography

By Mia McPherson|2023-05-01T05:23:47-05:00May 2nd, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, East Canyon, Milestone, Morgan County, Mountain Plovers, Nashville Warblers, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: berries, branch, Charadrius montanus, Crataegus rivularis, fruit, hawthorn, hawthorns, Leiothlypis ruficapilla, mentoring, milestone, Mountain Plover, Nashville Warbler, plover, plovers, Poocetes gramineus, River Hawthorn, shorebirds, sparrow, sparrows, Vesper Sparrow, warbler, warblers|

Today I am celebrating six years of daily posts without missing a day here at On The Wing Photography. That is two thousand one hundred and ninety-two days of nonstop publication.

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Monthly Archives: May 2021