first year – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

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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Black-headed Grosbeak in the Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|2022-05-27T13:42:59-05:00July 5th, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Black-headed Grosbeak, breeding plumage, canyon, female, first year, flowering shrub, flowers, foraging, grosbeak, grosbeaks, immature, male, mountains, perched, Pheucticus melanocephalus, riparian habitat, shrub, summer, willow thicket|

I was happy that I decided to photograph the striking Black-headed Grosbeak instead of the Downy Woodpecker that was at least forty feet in front of me.

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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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Juvenile Red-winged Blackbird Male Diving Towards The Ground

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-10T03:34:10-05:00October 19th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: Agelaius phoeniceus, blackbird, blackbirds, diving, first year, hatch year bird, immature, juvenile, male, Red-winged Blackbird, sexually dimorphic, sunflowers|

The plumage of male juvenile Red-winged Blackbirds is highly variable during their first year, some of the young blackbirds can look like females and some can look more like adult males.

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First year Red-tailed Hawk Close Up in a Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-04T07:41:10-05:00December 26th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: bedraggled, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, close up, first year, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, juvenile, raptors, red-tailed, Red-tailed Hawk, Russian Olive, snow, snow storm, winter, young|

This first year Red-tailed Hawk close up in the snow storm was a reminder of how much our birds and wildlife have to struggle to get through the harsh winter.

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First year male Bullock’s Oriole

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-26T11:21:08-05:00May 28th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Bullock's Orioles, Davis County, Utah|Tags: bird photography, birds, Bullock's Orioles, first year, Icterids, Icterus bullockii, immature, Ist year, male, oriole, orioles, rabbitbrush, sagebrush|

Earlier this week while photographing Western Kingbirds I also had opportunities to photograph a first year male Bullock's Oriole on Antelope Island State Park.

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Sometimes I wonder About the Birds I Photograph

By Mia McPherson|2018-01-07T05:03:14-06:00November 28th, 2014|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Bald Eagle, birds of prey, first year, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, juvenile, perched, raptor, yearling|

In February of 2011 there was a first year Bald Eagle at Farmington Bay WMA that seemed totally unafraid and unconcerned about the people near it.

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First year Prairie Falcon

By Mia McPherson|2021-08-10T15:55:09-05:00May 10th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Prairie Falcons, Utah|Tags: 1st year, birds of prey, Falco mexicanus, falcon, falcons, first year, Great Salt Lake, hatch year, hypersaline lake, immature, juvenile, lake shore, perched, Prairie Falcon, Prairie Falcons, rock, shore, shoreline, young|

In the fall of 2011 I enjoyed being able to photograph this first year Prairie Falcon several times close to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

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Prairie Falcon – Eureka Again!

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-13T13:35:38-06:00November 17th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Prairie Falcons, Utah|Tags: Falco mexicanus, falcon, falcons, first year, Great Salt Lake, immature, juvenile, perched, Prairie Falcon, Prairie Falcons, rock|

Wow, two nemesis birds photographed in a week, this Prairie Falcon was amazing. I'll be grinning (and dancing) about this for quite awhile!

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Bald Eagles – Age Progression from one to five years old

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-14T10:12:34-05:00February 16th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: 80 inch wingspan, adult, age progession, aging, aging bald eagles, Bald Eagle, bald eagle age progression, bill, bird ID, development, eagles, first year, fourth year, growth, growth stages, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, plumage, plumage phase, second year, third year, under wing|

A simple guide to aging Bald Eagles by their plumage development, legs and their bills with images showing the age progression.

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