Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Listening To A Marsh Wren Serenade

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-19T12:57:29-05:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Marsh Wrens, Utah|Tags: adult, Cistothorus palustris, marsh, Marsh Wren, phragmites, phrags, singing, spring, territorial, territorial boundaries, wetlands, wren, wrens|

I spent a few minutes with a singing Marsh Wren that I spotted in the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge last week. The tiny wren wasn't close so pointing him out was no easy task.

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Tree Swallows Have Returned

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-25T07:54:11-05:00March 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Summit County, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, aspen, flock, forest, gathering, low light, male, marsh, migration, mountains, nest, nest boxes, nesting cavity, perched, phragmites, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, wetlands|

A little birdie told me that Tree Swallows returned to the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge about the middle of this month.

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Swan Day in Utah – March 13, 2021

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-20T10:47:45-05:00March 11th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, ice, icy, marsh, mountains, pair, Promontory Mountains, resting, sidelit, sky, swan, Swan Day, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

This Saturday, March 13th, is Swan Day here in Utah. It is a day to celebrate these large, white, beautiful birds that spend time here during the winter.

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Common Raven On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|2023-10-25T06:21:25-05:00March 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: adult, Common Raven, corvids, Corvus corax, flight, flying, marsh, on the wing, raven, ravens, sky, wetlands, winter|

Earlier this month I had a brief opportunity to photograph a Common Raven on a gate at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on a bright, beautiful 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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Ten Sandhill Cranes At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-02T05:33:35-06:00March 2nd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Utah|Tags: adult, Antigone canadensis, barren, breeding behavior, crane, cranes, dance, dancing, displaying, field, foraging, leap, leaping, marsh, mating behavior, migration, sandhill, Sandhill Crane, Sandhill Cranes, sandhills, spring migration|

It was the highlight of my morning to find, observe, listen to, and photograph ten Sandhill Cranes at Bear River MBR yesterday.

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Loggerhead Shrike On A Witness Post

By Mia McPherson|2021-02-27T06:27:09-06:00February 27th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Loggerhead Shrikes, Utah|Tags: adult, Butcher Bird, call, Lanius ludovicianus, Loggerhead Shrike, marsh, perched, population decline, shrike, shrikes, song, song bird, songbirds, Survey Marker, wannabe raptors, winter, Witness Post|

Earlier this week while looking through older photos I came across this Loggerhead Shrike perched on a Witness Post image and I chuckled out loud.

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Snowy Spotted Towhee Portrait

By Mia McPherson|2024-04-05T05:17:58-05:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Towhees, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, male, Pipilo maculatus, portrait, snow, snowy, sparrow, sparrows, Spotted Towhee, towhee, towhees, urban, winter|

There was about 2 1/2 inches of white stuff on the ground yesterday morning which allowed me to take this snowy Spotted Towhee portrait close to home.

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Immature Male Northern Harrier Flying Over A Wintry Marsh

By Mia McPherson|2021-02-14T06:17:39-06:00February 14th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, ice, immature, male, marsh, Northern Harrier, raptors, small in frame, snow, water, winter, wintry, young|

This immature male Northern Harrier photo shows the hawk small in the frame with wintry marsh habitat behind and below it.

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Adult Golden Eagle Close Up

By Mia McPherson|2023-11-12T07:48:15-06:00February 13th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, blue sky, close up, eagle, eagles, flight, fly by, flying, Golden Eagle, raptors, sky, winter|

One year ago this morning spotting and photographing this adult Golden Eagle at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was the highlight of an otherwise crappy day.

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World Wetlands Day 2021

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-28T06:23:45-05:00February 2nd, 2021|Categories: American Bitterns, American Coots, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Black-crowned Night Herons, Blue-winged Teals, Brewer's Blackbirds, Centennial Valley, Cinnamon Teals, Common Checkered-Skippers, Common Mergansers, Conservation, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Environment, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Greater Scaups, Green-winged Teals, Halloween Pennants, Hooded Mergansers, Least Sandpipers, Lesser Scaups, Long-tailed Weasels, Marsh Wrens, Montana, Moose, Muskrats, Northern Harriers, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Reddish Egrets, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Rusty Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Scarlet Skimmers, Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpipers, Tricolored Herons, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah, Variegated Meadowhawk, White-faced Ibises, Wildflowers, Wilson's Phalaropes, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: birds, critical, insects, plants, protection, water, wetlands, wildlife, World Wetlands Day|

February 2nd is World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the critical role of wetlands for people, wildlife and our planet.

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Winter Great Blue Heron In Flight

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-27T15:19:10-05:00January 31st, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, mountains, phragmites, phrags, sky, snow, wading birds, wetlands, winter|

I'm keeping it simple today and sharing a single photo of a winter Great Blue Heron in flight over the marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Adult Tundra Swan On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-20T10:18:58-05:00January 30th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, clouds, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, marsh, on the wing, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, winter|

I've been thinking that I need to hop into my Jeep and head to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to photograph the Tundra Swans before they head north to breed and nest.

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Winter Adult Herring Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-23T13:15:40-05:00January 29th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, Definitive Basic, gull, gulls, Herring Gull, ice, Larus argentatus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, walking, water, wetlands, winter|

Today I am sharing two winter adult Herring Gull photos that I took earlier this month from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Third Winter Herring Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|2022-01-05T05:50:22-06:00January 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: calling, gull, gulls, Herring Gull, ice, immature, Larus argentatus, marsh, preening, third cycle, third winter, winter|

Earlier this month I was able to take third winter Herring Gull photos at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the ice from the auto tour route.

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Male American Kestrel Perched On A Sign

By Mia McPherson|2021-12-28T05:32:47-06:00January 13th, 2021|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, interpretive sign, kestrel, kestrels, male, perched, sign, sky, winter|

At the end of my trip to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on January 6th the last bird I photographed was an adult male American Kestrel.

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First Winter Herring Gulls

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-11T11:38:33-06:00January 11th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: first cycle, first winter, gull, gulls, Herring Gull, ice, immature, Larus argentatus, marsh, overwinter, walking, water, winter, young|

I recently wrote about my excitement that Herring Gulls have started showing up in northern Utah. Last week I was able to photograph some of them.

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Common Raven On Ice

By Mia McPherson|2023-10-25T06:39:04-05:00January 10th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: adult, Common Raven, corvids, Corvus corax, fascinating, ice, intelligent, marsh, mimic speech, pairs, raven, ravens, small in frame, tools, winter|

Last week when I visited Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I photographed several birds on the frozen marsh including a Common Raven on ice.

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Immature Great Blue Heron On Ice

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-17T05:16:43-05:00January 9th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: Ardea herodias, first winter, fluffy, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, ice, immature, landing, marsh, rest, resting, wading birds, walking, winter, young|

Three days ago I photographed an immature Great Blue Heron on ice from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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My First Rough-legged Hawk of 2021

By Mia McPherson|2024-01-06T02:13:12-06:00January 8th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, East Canyon, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, male, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, winter|

Two days ago I photographed my first Rough-legged Hawk of 2021 at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Or was it two?

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Common Goldeneye Making Waves

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-07T06:15:56-06:00January 7th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Utah|Tags: art imitates nature, Art Nouveau, bow wave, bubble, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, duck, ducks, goldeneye, goldeneyes, ice, landing, marsh, refuge, splashing, water, water formations, waterfowl, wave, wave formation, winter|

Yesterday morning I took a series of a Common Goldeneye making waves as he landed in icy cold water in the marshes of Bear River MBR.

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Winter Herring Gulls In Utah

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-03T07:51:23-06:00January 3rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: adult, close up, flight, flying, gull, gulls, Herring Gull, immature, Larus argentatus, marsh, portrait, sky, subadult, water, winter, young|

Winter Herring Gulls have arrived in northern Utah and I am excited that I will have opportunities to photograph this gull species again.

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2020 Photographic Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|2024-04-04T16:03:29-05:00December 31st, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Bushtits, Common Loons, Cooper’s Hawks, Desert Tarantulas, Eastern Kingbirds, Elk, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ferruginous Hawks, Golden Eagles, Gray Catbirds, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, Green-tailed Towhees, Merlins, Mountain Bluebirds, Nashville Warblers, Northern Harriers, Pine Siskins, Red Foxes, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Red-tailed Hawks, Ring-billed Gulls, Rusty Blackbirds, Short-eared Owls, Townsend's Solitaires, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, West Desert, Wild Turkeys, Wildflowers, Yellow Warblers|Tags: 5.7 earthquake, blackbirds, bluebirds, catbirds, coronavirus, eagles, Elk, fox, ground squirrels, gulls, harriers, hawks, herons, hummingbirds, kingbirds, loons, Merlin, owls, rare birds, red tailed hawks, siskins, tarantula, towhees, turkeys, uncommon, wablers, year in review|

This is my 2020 photographic year in review. I'm selecting some of my favorite photos from 2020 and a few that just make me happy to see them.

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Young Female Northern Harrier In Flight

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-10T03:46:10-05:00December 29th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: Circus hudsonius, female, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, marsh, Marsh Hawks, Northern Harrier, Promontory Mountains, raptors, sky, young|

Last week I was able to photograph this young Northern Harrier flying over a marsh on a trip up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Christmas Day Bird Photos Thru The Years

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-05T14:21:20-06:00December 25th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Golden Eagles, Long-eared Owls, Pied-billed Grebes, Pinellas County, Red-tailed Hawks, Roseate Spoonbills, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, Christmas Day, close up, Common Merganser, crayfish, eagle, eagles, first year, foggy, Golden Eagle, grebes, haek, hawks, immature, landing Bear River, Long-eared Owl, oel, owls, Pied-billed Grebe, portrait, Red-tailed Hawk, Roseate Spoonbill, snow, snow storm, snowy, spoonbill, wading birds, winter, young|

Today I wanted to share some of the Christmas Day bird photos I have taken through the years out in the field and close to home.

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Focusing On Adult Male Rough-legged Hawks

By Mia McPherson|2023-12-19T08:06:38-06:00November 27th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, clouds, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, high key, male, marsh, perched, raptor, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, Russian Olive, sky, stump, tree, winter|

Ten days ago I found and photographed this adult male Rough-legged Hawk as it perched on a Russian Olive tree at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge when I was heading home.

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Adult Common Raven On A Sign At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2023-10-25T06:32:09-05:00November 22nd, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Utah|Tags: adult, background, Common Raven, corvids, Corvus corax, marsh, mountains, perched, raven, ravens, sign|

This Common Raven looked to be alone but there was another raven foraging on the ground across the river that this bird could see.

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Drake Green-winged Teal At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2022-08-17T04:43:20-05:00November 18th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Green-winged Teals, Utah|Tags: alternate plumage, Anas crecca, breeding plumage, dabbling ducks, dead, deceased, drake, ducks, female, flight, flock, flying, Green-winged Teal, hen, injured, male, marsh, paddling, swimming, teal, teals, water, waterfowl|

Yesterday morning I was able to take close up photos of a drake Green-winged Teal paddling away from me at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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All Storms Come To An End

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-22T07:01:23-05:00November 12th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Juab County, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Utah, West Desert|Tags: blue sky, clear sky, clouds, dissapating, Fish Springs Mountain Range, marsh, mountains, ominous, Promontory Mountain Range, rain, rainy, sky, spring, storms, stormy, summer, valley, water, weather, winter|

There are times when I feel as if I am riding out a storm due to circumstances or events that are out of my control I remind myself that all storms come to an end.

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Veterans Day 2020

By Mia McPherson|2022-05-27T06:35:31-05:00November 11th, 2020|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Eagle, before sunrise, birds of prey, dawn, eagle, eagles, frozen, golden light, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, marsh, mountains, New Year, perched, raptors, winter, wooden post|

Veterans Day is always held on November 11th and is a day set aside to honor all of those who have served our country in war or peace.

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