hovering – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Hovering Forster’s Tern

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-24T04:13:06-05:00August 12th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: adult, eye contact, flight, flying, food, foraged, Forster's Tern, hovering, hunting, pond, Sterna forsteri, tern, terns, wetlands|

Last week I photographed this adult Forster's Tern in flight as it foraged for food above Glover Pond near Farmington Bay WMA.

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Western Kingbird up close, almost too close!

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-31T13:33:49-05:00June 14th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: adult, close up, desert, flight, flycatcher, flycatchers, flying, hovering, island, kingbird, kingbirds, Tyrannus verticalis, Western Kingbird|

Three days ago I was caught off guard when this Western Kingbird flew in and hovered up close to me, almost too close actually.

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Calliope Hummingbird and Rocky Mountain Bee Plant

By Mia McPherson|2017-06-29T08:37:52-05:00October 23rd, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Calliope Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: bird photography, birding, birds, Davis County, feeding, hovering, migration, photography, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Stellula calliope, wildflower|

Just a quick post this morning of a tiny Calliope Hummingbird feeding on Rocky Mountain Bee Plant that I photographed at the end of August.

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Pretty in Pink – Black-chinned Hummingbird

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-08T10:09:43-05:00September 21st, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Cleomella serrulata, desert, female, flight, flying, hovering, hummingbird, hummingbirds, island, pink wildflowers, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, wildflowers|

Well, I made it through another week. Bird photography has been slow down here in the valley but there are signs migration is picking up. There was a decided nip to the air yesterday morning and I saw some frost on the ground while heading towards Antelope Island.

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Hovering American Kestrel

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-10T09:49:42-06:00June 2nd, 2013|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, birds of prey, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, flight, flying, hover, hovering, hunting, kestrel, kestrels, male, sky|

Hovering Kestrel shots aren't easy to capture without baiting or using decoys, part of that is because I can't tell when a kestrel might get it in its mind to hover for prey, the other part is being in the right place at the right time.

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Franklin’s Gulls ~ Feeding Frenzy

By Mia McPherson|2021-07-25T11:11:23-05:00March 5th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Franklin's Gulls, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, feeding, feeding frenzy, flight, flying, foraging, Franklin's Gull, gull, gulls, hovering, Leucophaeus pipixcan, spring, valley, wet meadow|

Last year while I was camping and photographing at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge I saw a feeding frenzy that involved Franklin's and California Gulls in the flooded grasses and Sagebrush flats near the Lower Lake.

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Rough-legged Hawk Kiting, Being Bit and Eating on the Fly

By Mia McPherson|2021-11-06T10:40:19-05:00January 19th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, eating, eating in flight, flight, flying, goofy, Great Salt Lake, hawks, Hawks of Utah, hovering, immature, kiting, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, vole, young|

Some days are wonderful for bird photography especially when the subject is close, exhibits interesting behavior and the light is in my favor. These images are from an afternoon just like that when I happened across a lovely Rough-legged Hawk on a breezy day.

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Northern Harrier in Low Light

By Mia McPherson|2020-03-02T19:14:20-06:00May 16th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: bird ID, bird photography, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, falling snow, flight, fog, harrier, harriers, hawks, hovering, inversion, low light, Marsh hawk, marshes, Northern Harrier, raptors, snow, Wasatch Mountains, winter|

I don't mind the motion blur in these images and because northern harriers hunt by looking down at the ground for their prey I was very happy to get eye contact in both frames.

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Nesting Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|2020-03-02T13:16:40-06:00May 7th, 2011|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, female, flight, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hen Harrier, hovering, landing, marsh, Marsh hawk, marshes, nest, nesting, nesting material, Northern Harrier, wetlands|

Tt was the first time that I have ever seen a Northern Harrier building a nest. It more than made my day!

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Northern Harrier – Gray Ghost

By Mia McPherson|2024-04-06T06:27:16-05:00November 24th, 2010|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Low light, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, fall, flight, flying, Gray Ghost, Gray Ghosts, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, hovering, male, marsh, Northern Harrier, raptors, wetlands|

I will have more opportunities with northern harriers in better light this winter and while I wouldn't consider this image perfect, I am happy with the results I obtained while photographing this "Gray Ghost".

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