mallards – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Tundra Swans And Precious Memories

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-07T04:46:41-06:00February 7th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, Cygnus columbianus, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, flight, flying, ice, ice shelf, immature, mallards, marsh, phragmites, phrags, swan, swans, Tundra Swans, water, waterfowl, wetlands, winter, young|

Tundra Swans and memories are on my mind this morning. Six years ago, I sat in my Jeep watching hundreds of Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Male Mallard Resting In Snow – Connections

By Mia McPherson|2024-01-14T04:26:34-06:00January 14th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, close up, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mallard, mallards, park, photographing, pond, resting, Salt Lake County, snow, snowy, urban, Utah, watching, waterfowl, winter|

I visited my local ponds yesterday even though the sky was gray, and snow was falling. While I was there, I photographed this male Mallard resting in the snow.

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Fun Drake Mallard At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2024-01-13T03:19:59-06:00January 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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Jolly Drake Mallard On Christmas Eve

By Mia McPherson|2023-12-24T14:39:25-06:00December 24th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, breeding plumage, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, jolly, male, Mallard, mallards, pond, stretching, urban, water, winter|

I went through all of the photos I have taken on Christmas eve throughout the years and this jolly-looking drake Mallard spoke the loudest to me.

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Wasatch Mountain Mallard Babies

By Mia McPherson|2023-06-03T15:04:54-05:00June 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, babies, canyon, creek, dabbling ducks, ducklings, immature, juvenile, Mallard, mallards, mountains, spring, water, waterfowl, young|

I can't pass up photographing mountain Mallard babies when I find their little fluffy selves on mountain creeks, streams, lakes, or reservoirs.

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Neighborhood Cuties: Baby Mallard Ducklings

By Mia McPherson|2023-05-09T04:32:40-05:00May 9th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, babies, baby, dabbling ducks, dappled, duck, duckling, ducklings, ducks, grass, light, Mallard, mallards, Salt Lake County, spring, urban, Utah|

It's hard to ignore the adorable charm of baby birds, which is why I couldn't resist taking some photos of these precious Mallard ducklings yesterday.

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Calling Mallard Drake In The City

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-09T05:01:47-06:00February 9th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, bill, calling, city, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mallard, mallards, open, pond, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

I enjoy photographing even the most abundant ducks at my local city ponds. I simply couldn't resist taking images of this calling Mallard drake two days ago.

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Simply A Duck On A Rock

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-19T03:41:55-06:00January 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, grasses, male, Mallard, mallards, pond, rock, snow, urban, winter|

I headed down to my neighborhood ponds yesterday morning while there was some sunshine and my favorite image of the day was simply a duck on a rock.

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Dapper Mallard Drake In Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-08T02:44:49-05:00January 5th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, dapper, drake, duck, ducks, male, Mallard, mallards, snow, snowy, urban, waterfowl, winter|

After I photographed the handsome Gadwall drake that I shared yesterday I couldn't resist taking images of this alert and dapper Mallard drake in the snow.

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Made It Through Christmas And I Am Just Ducky

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-02T04:09:01-06:00December 26th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, bill, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, ducky, feather, female, hen, ice, Mallard, mallards, pond, urban, waterfowl, winter|

Well, I made it through the Christmas part of the holidays this year in one piece and I am feeling just ducky.

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Drake Mallard And Reflections

By Mia McPherson|2022-11-19T04:54:18-06:00November 19th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, autumn, Cottonwood, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, fall, leaf, light pole, male, Mallard, mallards, reflections, urban, water, waterfowl|

This morning I am sharing a simple drake Mallard photo taken at my local pond. I liked this image because of the reflections of the duck, light pole and leaf.

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Mallard Ducklings And White Water Crowfoot

By Mia McPherson|2023-05-09T04:28:29-05:00June 28th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, White Water Crowfoot, Wildflowers|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, aquatic vegetation, aquatic wildflower, bloom, blooming, blossoms, canyon, Common Water-Crowfoot, creek, dabbling ducks, duck, duckling, ducks, flowering, juvenile, Mallard, mallards, mountains, native, preening, Ranunculus aquatilis, summer, Summit County, swimming, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, water, waterfowl, White Water Buttercup, White Water-crowfoot, white wildflowers, wildflowers, young|

This morning I am sharing photos of Mallard ducklings and blooming White Water Crowfoot taken in a creek high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Northern Utah Winter Waterfowl Photo

By Mia McPherson|2023-02-27T15:13:50-06:00February 27th, 2022|Categories: American Wigeons, Birds, Canada Geese, Great Blue Herons, Mallards|Tags: American Wigeon, Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea herodias, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, dabbling ducks, desert, duck, ducks, fog, frost, geese, goose, grasses, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, hoar frost, Mallard, mallards, Mareca americana, mist, pond, ranchlands, snow, steam fog, water, waterfowl, wigeon, wigeons, winter|

The photo I liked the most from yesterday was of winter waterfowl on a small pond with mist rising from the water and hoar frost covering the vegetation.

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Christmas Day Birds 2021

By Mia McPherson|2021-12-26T05:18:25-06:00December 26th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Common Goldeneyes, Great Blue Herons, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea herodias, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Buteo lagopus, California Gull, calling, Christmas, Christmas Day, close up, Common Goldeneye, coot, coots, crawdad, crayfish, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eating, female, first winter, flight, flying, foraging, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, grass, gray sky, Great Blue Heron, Great-tailed Grackle, gull, gulls, hawk, hawks, heron, herons, hovering, Icterids, immature, Larus californicus, low light, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, open bill, pond, portrait, Quiscalus mexicanus, rails, Rough-legged Hawk, splashing, urban, wading birds, water, water droplets, wetlands, winter, young|

I did get out to find and photograph birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA and then later in the morning I found more closer to home.

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Great Egret, Mallards and Hooded and Common Mergansers On The Bear River

By Mia McPherson|2021-12-23T05:56:39-06:00December 23rd, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Mergansers, Great Egrets, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea alba, Bear River, Common Merganser, composite, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, egret, egrets, female, Great Egret, hen, Hooded Merganser, ice, Lophodytes cucullatus, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, river, riverbank, snow, wading birds, water, waterfowl, winter|

The Great Egret landed where I had views of Hooded and Common Mergansers and three Mallards resting on the ice on the Bear River.

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Bluebells, Currants, Warblers And A Duck

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-15T05:59:28-05:00May 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Morgan County, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, alpine, Anas platyrhynchos, bath, bathing, beaver damage, bloom, blooming, blossoms, blue wildflowers, branch, branches, canyon, creek, creekside, currant, currants, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, female, flowering, flowers, fork, Golden Currant, male, Mallard, mallards, Mertensia ciliata, Mountain Bluebells, mountains, perched, pink wildflowers, purple wildflowers, Ribes aureum, riparian zone, Setophaga petechia, shrub, singing, spring, stump, tapestry, warbler, warblers, water, water droplets, wildflowers, Yellow Warbler, yellow wildflowers|

I spent my morning up in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday and came home with photos of bluebells, currants, warblers, and a duck.

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Mallard Hen On Slippery Ice

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-20T07:09:36-06:00January 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mallards|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling, duck, ducks, female, hen, ice, Mallard, mallards, pond, sliding, winter|

Last week I took a series of photos of a Mallard hen as she landed on slippery ice at a pond close to home in Salt Lake City.

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Photographing Winter Birds

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-13T06:24:03-05:00January 15th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Bald Eagles, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Canvasbacks, Common Goldeneyes, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya americana, Aythya valisineria, Bald Eagle, birds of prey, Black-crowned Night Heron, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Canvasback, chase, close up, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, dicks, displaying, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eagle, eagles, female, fight, fighting, first winter, flight, flying, food, frisky, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, Great-tailed Grackle, grebe, grebes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, heron, herons, immature, male, mallards, marsh, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, portrait, prey, Quiscalus mexicanus, raptors, Redhead, redheads, swimming, wading birds, water, waterfowl, weather loach, winter, young|

I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing winter birds at Farmington Bay WMA and closer to home in the morning and afternoon.

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Mallard Ducklings In An Alpine Creek

By Mia McPherson|2022-06-28T03:23:12-05:00June 5th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, aspen, canyon, chicks, creek, cute, duck, duckling, ducklings, ducks, floofy, log, Mallard, mallards, mountains, water, waterfowl|

I know from experience that when I post Mallard photos and write about them here on my site that they don't seem to get as many views as other birds do.

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Low Light Drake Mallard Portrait

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-20T03:44:03-05:00January 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, close up, dabbling ducks, drake, ducks, low light, male, Mallard, mallards, portrait, resting, snow, waterfowl, winter|

Because of the low light and snowy conditions on the first day of the year I did not take many photos of the birds that I saw but I did get a few mallard images that I liked.

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Hen Mallard In Fresh Snow

By Mia McPherson|2022-08-16T04:43:12-05:00December 18th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Frustrations in bird photography, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, dabbling ducks, duck, ducks, frustrations in bird photography, heat wave distortion, heat waves, Mallard, mallards, snow, walking, waterfowl, winter|

This post is about this pretty little Mallard hen walking in the fresh snow that fell during the night two days ago.

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I’m Looking Forward To Photographing Winter Ducks

By Mia McPherson|2021-12-23T05:13:46-06:00November 12th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, drake, duck, ducks, flight, landing, male, Mallard, mallards, photograph, photographing, pond, urban, water, waterfowl, winter|

When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge a few days ago I saw lots of ducks in the marshes and on the water and I realized that I am looking forward to photographing winter ducks again.

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Mallard Hen Landing In The Golden Light Of A Sunset

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-20T14:41:27-06:00November 17th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Swans, Ducks and Geese, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, duck, ducks, female, golden light, hen, landing, Mallard, mallards, pond, sunset, waterfowl, winter|

When I have the opportunity to take photos of birds in the sweet golden light of sunset I jump at the chance even if the bird is as common as a Mallard hen landing on a pond. Why wouldn't I?

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Drake Mallards Bathing and Splashing

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-06T14:31:50-05:00November 22nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, bathing, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, flapping, male, Mallard, mallards, pond, splashing, urban, water, waterfowl, wings|

After bathing the Mallards lift up, flap their wings and shake the water off and I have also noticed them repeat the process of bathing several times in succession. Bathe, shake, flap.

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Landing Drake Mallard

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-03T15:07:16-06:00August 24th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, blue sky, drake, duck, ducks, flight, flying, landing, male, Mallard, mallards, mobile blind, sky, waterfowl|

I don't often have the opportunity of taking photos of ducks that are flying straight at me while coming in for a landing which is exactly what this drake mallard did.

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Three years ago today when it was actually Winter

By Mia McPherson|2021-01-18T05:41:01-06:00December 6th, 2012|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, coot, coots, diving ducks, duck, ducks, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grebe, grebes, gull, gulls, Mallard, mallards, Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, pond, water, winter|

Three years ago today though the ground was covered in drifts of snow, the temps were below freezing, there was ice on the ponds & lakes and there was a sharp briskness to the air that can only be found in winter.

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