Swans, Ducks and Geese – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Red-breasted Merganser Lifting Off

By Mia McPherson|February 1st, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers|Tags: coastal, flight, flying, Gulf Coast, lagoon, lift off, merganser, mergansers, Mergus serrator, nonbreeding plumage, Red-breasted Merganser, sand, spring, take off, waterfowl|

The weather outside hasn't been good for bird photography today but since I am always behind on editing I thought I'd process this Red-breasted Merganser image that I took in Florida a few years ago.

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Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2012|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Kestrels, American White Pelicans, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brewer's Blackbirds, Burrowing Owls, California Gulls, Chukars, Common Ravens, Davis County, Great Horned Owls, Green-winged Teals, Horned Larks, Killdeer, Long-billed Curlews, Northern Harriers, Northern Shovelers, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, Rough-legged Hawks, Sage Thrashers, Utah, Western Meadowlarks, Willets|Tags: American Barn Owl, American Kestrel, American White Pelican, bird photography, birding, Birds of Antelope Island State Park, Black-billed Magpie, Brewer's Blackbird, Burrowing Owl, California Gull, Chukar, Common Raven, Gray Ghost, Great Horned Owl, Green-winged Teal, Horned Lark, Killdeer, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Harrier, Northern Shoveler, Peregrine Falcon, Prairie Falcons, Rough-legged Hawk, Sage Thrasher, Western Meadowlark, Willet|

This is the third post in my series about Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park, I've saved the best (and longest) for last. The Birds! Okay, maybe they aren't the best thing about Antelope Island State Park, but I am a bird photographer and they are what I am most passionate about!

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High Key Fun

By Mia McPherson|December 14th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, Bald Eagle, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, ducks, female, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hawk, hen, high key, immature, lift off, low light, Mallard, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, snow, snowy, winter|

It seems that people either love high key images or they hate them. Personally; I believe that when a high key image is done well that they can be very appealing and have a place for them in my portfolio.

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Harlequin Ducks Dead – Just Because It Is Legal That Doesn’t Make It Right!

By Mia McPherson|December 10th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Harlequin Ducks, Utah, Wildlife Ethics & Etiquette|Tags: Antelope Island Causeway, bird photography, birding, Davis County, drake, duck, duck hunters, ducks, ethics, female, Great Salt Lake, Harlequin Duck, hen, Histrionicus histrionicus, immature, legal versus right, male, rare, wildlife|

To those hunters who recognized and respected the rarity of those beautiful and very uncommon birds, you have my respect and I am personally very grateful that you preferred to give these ducks a pass even though you knew that hunting them was legal.

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Things Are Getting Ducky In Utah!

By Mia McPherson|October 1st, 2011|Categories: Birds, Buffleheads, Cinnamon Teals, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Gadwalls, Greater Scaups, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake Valley|Tags: Anas acuta, Anas platyrhynchos, autumn, Aythya collaris, Aythya marila, Bucephala albeola, Bucephala clangula, Bufflehead, Cinnamon Teal, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Davis County, Gadwall, Greater Scaup, Mallard, Mareca strepera, Mergus merganser, Mergus serrator, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, Salt Lake County, Spatula clypeata, Spatula cyanoptera|

Another wonderful change that I have been seeing is that a variety of duck species have been arriving at the Great Salt Lake

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Cackling Goose

By Mia McPherson|April 27th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Cackling Geese, Davis County, Utah|Tags: bird ID, bird photography, Branta hutchinsii, Cackling Goose, Davis County, lifer, migration, nature photography, Utah, water fowl, wildlife photography|

Last week I spotted a bird that isn't usually here in Utah this late in migration, a Cackling Goose.

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Common and Red-breasted Mergansers

By Mia McPherson|March 20th, 2011|Categories: Bird ID, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers, Utah|Tags: bill, bird ID, Common Merganser, crest, crests, diving ducks, duck, ducks, eye color, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, Mergus serrator, Red-breasted Merganser, serrated bill, water|

Mergansers are considered "diving ducks" and one of the things the three species of mergansers found in North America all have in common are their serrated bills.

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Northern Shovelers blasting off

By Mia McPherson|February 11th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Northern Shovelers, Utah|Tags: adult, Antelope Island Causeway, back lit, bird photography, blast off, blasting off, chaos, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, flight, flying, Great Salt Lake, hypersaline lake, lake, lift off, Northern Shoveler, shoveler, shovelers, Spatula clypeata, take off, winter|

This morning when we had almost reached Antelope Island I spotted a huge flock of Northern Shovelers blasting off from the water

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Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal Hybrid Duck

By Mia McPherson|August 25th, 2010|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Duck hybrids, Utah|Tags: adult, Blue-winged Teal, Box Elder County, Cinnamon Teal, Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal, cross, ducks, hybrid, marsh, nature photography, northern Utah, photography, Spatula cyanoptera, Spatula discors, wetlands, wildlife|

It wasn't until I pulled the image up on my monitor that I saw that this duck was a hybrid, which turned out to be Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal hybrid.

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The Sounds of Fall

By Mia McPherson|August 15th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adults, autumn, Branta canadensis, fall, flight, geese, Glover Pond, goose, photography, resting, water fowl, wetlands, wildlife|

This morning I can hear Canada Geese overhead after a hot summer when I have heard few. Listening to them I realize that soon summer will end and the colorful season of fall will begin.

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