flying – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Canada Goose On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|January 12th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, branches, Branta canadensis, calling, Canada Geese, flight, flying, geese, goose, on the wing, park, pond, Salt Lake County, sky, tree, urban, Utah, waterfowl, winter|

There was a break in the gray clouds yesterday before noon, so I drove down to my local pond. While I was there, I photographed this Canada Goose on the wing.

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Northern Harrier – My First Raptor of 2024

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, first winter, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, male, marsh, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, on the wing, raptors, sky, wetlands, winter, young|

The first raptor I photographed in 2024 was this young male Northern Harrier that I found near the refuge auto tour loop at Bear River MBR on New Year's Day.

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American Herring Gull In Flight Close Up

By Mia McPherson|January 6th, 2024|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, birds of prey, close up, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, gull, gulls, ice, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, raptors, water, wetlands, winter, winter plumage|

Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.

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Fun Drake Mallard At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|January 4th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Mallards, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, breeding plumage, dabbling duck, drake, ducks, flight, flying, ice, lifting off, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, New Year's Day, taking off, Utah, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

On New Year's Day morning, I had fun photographing a drake Mallard from the auto tour loop of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge as he lifted off from the marsh.

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Christmas Day Young Northern Harrier On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, female, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hatch year, hawk, hawks, hen, immature, marsh, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, raptors, wetlands, winter, young|

On this Christmas morning, I am sharing a photo of a young female Northern Harrier in flight that I took exactly three years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Six Canvasback Hen Photos

By Mia McPherson|December 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Canvasbacks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, afternoon, Aythya valisineria, Canvasback, coy, diving ducks, duck, ducks, female, flight, flying, hen, park, pond, preening, sunny, urban, water, winter|

This morning, I'm sharing six Canvasback hen photos that were taken two winters ago. I found the hen mixed in with other ducks at my local pond.

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Murmuration Of European Starlings On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 16th, 2023|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, bank, blasting off, constellation, edge, European Starling, fall, flight, flock, flying, lifting off, Murmuration, murmurations, on the wing, park, pond, shore, sky, starling, starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, taking off, trees, urban, water|

I wasn't the only person who noticed the huge murmuration of European Starlings at my local pond yesterday morning; other people stopped and admired them too.

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Immature Female Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|December 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Environment, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Habitat, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, clouds, fall, female, field, first winter, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, immature, marsh, Northern Harrier, on the wing, perched, post, raptors, scanning, sky, snow, snowy, wetlands, wooden post, young|

Today I am sharing three photos of an immature female Northern Harrier that I took ten years ago at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Bird Talk: American White Pelicans

By Mia McPherson|December 11th, 2023|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Bird ID, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, bird talk, clouds, First Spring, flight, flying, immature, marsh, mountains, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, sky, spring, sub-adult, wetlands, winter|

My subject today is about bird talk: American White Pelicans, my friend Adonis, and his recent first trip back East, and to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

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Adult Golden Eagle On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|December 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, birds of prey, cliff, desert, eagle, eagles, fall, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, on the wing, raptor, ridge, sage, sagebrush, sky|

Back in November of 2017, I took this photo of an adult Golden Eagle flying past a ridge in Box Elder County. I'm not sure why I never shared it until today.

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Winter Black-crowned Night Heron In Flight

By Mia McPherson|November 27th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-crowned Night Heron, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, wading birds, water, wetlands, winter|

While going through my archives this morning, I found this photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron in flight. It was taken in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA in 2021.

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Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|November 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, autumn, birds of prey, Buteo regalis, Buteos, dark morph, desert, fall, fence post, Ferruginous Hawk, flight, flying, foothills, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, lifting off, mountains, perched, raptors, sky island mountains, taking off|

Four years ago today, I found this gorgeous dark morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a juniper fence post in the West Desert. I spotted it from about a mile away.

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November Sunrise Over The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|November 16th, 2023|Categories: Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: autumn, clouds, fall, flying, glow, landscape, morning, mountains, peaks, pond, scenery, sky, sunrise, trees, Wasatch Mountains, water|

Yesterday morning, I could tell there was going to be some vibrant color in the sunrise over the Wasatch Mountains, so I drove down to my local pond to take photos.

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Time To See And Hear Tundra Swans

By Mia McPherson|November 10th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Box Elder County, Cygnus columbianus, fall, flight, flock, flying, marsh, mountains, pair, phragmites, phrags, Promontory Mountains, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

Now is a great time to see and hear Tundra Swans from the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I saw several large flocks of them yesterday from there.

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Great Blue Heron Photos In Winter

By Mia McPherson|November 8th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, close up, ducks, flight, fluffed up, flying, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, hunting, ice, ice shelf, land, landing, marsh, photos, wading birds, walking, watching, wetlands, winter, winter wonderland|

If you want to take Great Blue Heron photos in winter, on snow and ice, then head to Bear River MBR in Utah after the marsh freezes and the snow starts to fall.

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Canada Goose With Fall Colors

By Mia McPherson|September 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, city park, fall, fall colors, flight, flying, geese, goose, park, trees, urban, waterfowl|

When I took this photo of a Canada Goose at an urban pond close to home several years ago, I loved the fall colors in the background behind the goose.

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Peek-a-boo Osprey In Flight Over My Local Pond

By Mia McPherson|May 22nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ospreys, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Fish Hawk, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, Osprey, ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, park, peek-a-boo, pond, raptors, river hawk, Sea Hawk, sky, spring, urban|

At the end of April I spent the morning photographing birds at my local pond. This peek-a-boo Osprey was one of my favorites images from that day.

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Spring Caspian Tern Photos Plus A Bonus Osprey Image

By Mia McPherson|May 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Caspian Terns, Ospreys, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, aerial chase, breeding plumage, Caspian Tern, chasing, dive, eye level, flight, flying, Hydroprogne caspia, Osprey, ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, park, pond, raptors, sky, spring, tern, terns, urban|

At the end of last month, I had the pleasure of taking Caspian Tern photos as these terns were flying and fishing at my local pond.

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Osprey Lifting Off After Missing Prey

By Mia McPherson|April 29th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Ospreys, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, dive, flight, flying, lift off, lifting off, Osprey, ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, park, pond, raptors, spring, take off, taking off, unsuccessful, urban, water|

I had great fun photographing this Osprey lifting off from an unsuccessful dive for prey two days ago. It was definitely a challenge and I will explain why.

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Learning More About Collared Tundra Swans

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, banded, collar, collared, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flock, flying, grasses, ice, inset, male, marsh, mountains, neck markers, snow, snow covered, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, U915, U961, U974, USGS, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter|

As the Tundra Swans in Utah begin to make their long journeys to their breeding grounds, I wanted to do one more post about the collared Tundra Swans I've found.

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Snow Weary And Needing A Bird Fix

By Mia McPherson|March 31st, 2023|Categories: American Avocets, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, American Avocet, American Avocets, avocet, avocets, Black-crowned Night Heron, blackbird, blackbirds, breeding plumage, Cistothorus palustris, early morning, flight, flying, heron, herons, Icterids, male, marsh, Marsh Wren, mountains, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, perched, phragmites, phrags, preening, Recurvirostra americana, Red-winged Blackbird, resting, river, shorebirds, singing, sky, spring, wading birds, water, wetlands, wren, wrens, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, Yellow-headed Blackbird|

More fresh snow on the ground this morning. I am snow weary. What I need is a bird, nature, gone exploring in the wild fix with no real or clear return time.

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World Water Day 2023

By Mia McPherson|March 22nd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Glacier County, Glacier National Park, Juab County, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Sawgrass Lake Park, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, American Coots, aspens, Box Elder County, canyon, Centennial Mountains, Centennial Valley, clouds, conifers, coots, creek, Cygnus columbianus, Fish Springs Range, flight, flock, Florida, flying, footbridge, foothills, grass, grasses, hills, ice, immature, Juab County, maple swamp, marsh, mountains, Pinellas County, pond, Promontory Mountains, rapids, reflections, river, rocks, rushing, sage, sagebrush, Sawgrass Lake Park, shadows, shrubs, sky, snow, snow-topped, spring, summer, swamp, swan, swans, trail, trees, Tundra Swan, Utah, valley, water, waterfowl, west desert, wetlands, Wigeon Pond, willows, winter, young|

Today is World Water Day. The theme for World Water Day 2023 is: Accelerate Change. Every human being on this planet is roughly 60% water.

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Big & Beautiful: Tundra Swans of Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, bath, bathing, bill, close, Cygnus columbianus, droplets, flight, flock, flying, goofy, ice shelf, immature, marsh, nips, Promontory Mountains, relaxing, resting, sky, snow, spot, swans, Tundra Swan, walking, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter, young|

Yesterday morning I spent time with a flock of big, beautiful Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I loved every moment that I had with the swans.

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Migrating Sandhill Cranes On The Wing

By Mia McPherson|February 25th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Sandhill Cranes, Utah|Tags: adult, Antigone canadensis, calling, crane, cranes, flight, flying, late, marsh, mates, mountains, pair, Sandhill Crane, snowy, wetlands, winter|

I heard through the grapevine that Sandhill Cranes have returned to Farmington Bay WMA. Since the cranes are there they might be at other Utah locations too.

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Great Blue Heron Slip Slidin’ Away

By Mia McPherson|February 16th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, flight, flying, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, ice, icy, jumping, landing, marsh, open water, sliding, slip, slippery, slipping, wading birds, walking, wetlands, winter|

Earlier this week, I visited Bear River MBR and had a fantastic time capturing photographs of birds sliding on the ice. This included an adult Great Blue Heron.

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Bear River MBR: Winter Haven For Tundra Swans

By Mia McPherson|February 7th, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, azure, Cygnus columbianus, flight, flying, immature, marsh, sky, swan, swans, Tundra Swan, Tundra Swans, waterfowl, wetlands, winter, young|

I had hoped that this morning would be sunny so I could head to Bear River MBR to see, listen to, and photograph Tundra Swans on the marshes.

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California Gull Playing With A Stick

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: behavior, California Gull, flight, flying, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, mid air, play, playing, pond, shoreline, snagging, stick, urban, water, winter, winter plumage|

This morning I'm sharing two photos of a California Gull playing with a stick at one of my local ponds that I took during the winter in January of 2021.

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Missing Our Neighborhood Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, branches, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mountains, neighborhood, pond, raptors, sky, tree, trees, urban, winter|

By this time in January I have usually already seen and photographed our neighborhood Bald Eagle that visits during the winter for a few weeks.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2022|Categories: American Kestrels, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Box Elder County, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Horned Grebes, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Western Warbling-Vireos|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, American Kestrel, Aquila chrysaetos, autumn, background, berries, Bewick's Swan, bill, birds of prey, Black-billed Magpie, blooming, blooms, blossoms, Bonasa umbellus, boulder, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Bubo virginianus, building, canyon, close up, corvids, Cygnus columbianus, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Davis County, desert, dirt, eagle, eagles, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fall, farmlands, female, fledgling, flight, flock, flowering, flowering shrub, flying, forest edge, fruiting shrub, fruits, fruting shrubs, Golden Eagle, gorget, Great Horned Owl, grebe, grebes, grouse, gull, gulls, Horned Grebe, hummingbird, hummingbirds, immature, juvenile, kestrel, kestrels, Larus delawarensis, lichen, lores, magpie, magpies, male, marsh, mountains, nest, nest box, nesting, nonbreeding plumage, owl, owls, perched, Pica hudsonia, Podiceps auritus, raptors, rare, reflection, Ring-billed Gull, riparian habitat, road, roadside, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Ruffed Grouse, Salpinctes obsoletus, Selasphorus platycercus, serviceberries, serviceberry, Setophaga aestiva, shrub, spring, stink-eye, summer, swan, swans, thicket, tree, Tundra Swans, Utah, Utah Serviceberry, vagrant, warbler, warblers, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, wetlands, willow, willow thicket, willows, winter, winter plumage, wood-warbler, wood-warblers, wren, wrens, Yellow Warbler, young|

On this last day of the year it is time for my annual 2022 Year in Review post. In some ways 2022 has been great for me and in others not so good.

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Immature Ferruginous Hawk In December

By Mia McPherson|December 23rd, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, Buteo regalis, Buteos, clouds, desert, eyes, fall, Ferruginous Hawk, flight, flying, foothills, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, lifting off, light morph, raptors, sky, taking off, young|

I was overjoyed to see an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk in my viewfinder four years ago in December while I was out in Utah's West Desert.

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