nest box – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Tree Swallows Have Migrated Into Northern Utah

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-25T06:57:17-05:00March 25th, 2024|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, High Uintas, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, aspen, aspens, close up, female, forest, male, mountains, natural, nest, nest box, nesting, nesting box, nesting cavity, nesting season, perched, Populus tremuloides, portrait, Quaking Aspen, spring, Summit County, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, tree trunk, Utah|

Over the weekend, I read on Facebook that Tree Swallows have migrated back into Northern Utah for their breeding season. I am so excited about that news!

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Late Summer Great Blue Heron

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-29T03:09:34-05:00September 15th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, cattails, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, marsh, nest box, resting, summer, wading birds, water, wetlands|

I photographed this late summer, adult Great Blue Heron resting on a human-made nest box at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area a few days ago.

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My 2022 Year In Review

By Mia McPherson|2023-11-10T04:24:07-06:00December 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, Ring-billed Gulls, Rock Wrens, Ruffed Grouse, Tundra Swans, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|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 petechia, 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 Rough-legged Hawk, Staring Prey And Feaking

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-15T05:30:05-06:00December 15th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, Davis County, fall, feaking, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, immature, landing, light morph, looking, marsh, nest box, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, staring, vole, wetlands, young|

This morning I am sharing photos of an immature Rough-legged Hawk, its staring prey, of the bird feaking and a bonus image that shows the tongue of the hawk.

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Immature Red-tailed Hawk With Mountains In The Background

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-15T04:00:13-05:00October 15th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, early morning light, fall, hatch year, hawk, hawks, immature, marsh, mountains, nest box, nestbox, perched, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, slopes, stern, young|

My best bird photos from yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA were of an immature Red-tailed Hawk with the shadowed Wasatch Mountain slopes in the background.

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Autumn Say’s Phoebe Photos

By Mia McPherson|2022-09-26T07:30:59-05:00September 26th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Say's Phoebes, Utah|Tags: autumn, fall, inquisitive, nest box, perched, phoebe, phoebes, Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya, sky, stick, tyrant flycatchers|

Last week I was able to take Say's Phoebe photos at Farmington Bay WMA on two different perches. The first was a nest box, and the second, a tall stick.

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Peek-a-boo Rough-legged Hawk At Farmington Bay WMA

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-15T09:50:50-06:00November 27th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Hawks, Eagles, Ospreys and Vultures, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, field, flight, hawk, hawks, immature, landing, light morph, marsh, nest box, peek-a-boo, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, Roughie, wetlands, winter|

Why did it make me laugh and smile? Because it looks like the Rough-legged Hawk might have been playing peek-a-boo as it looked towards me through its wingtips.

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Great Horned Owl at Nest Box – Human Made Nests Are Helping Birds

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-27T19:24:17-06:00February 13th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Great Horned Owls, Utah|Tags: adult, birdhouses, birds of prey, Bubo virginianus, desert island, Great Horned Owl, man made, nest basket, nest box, nest platform, nest shelf, owls, winter|

Human made nest boxes, nest baskets, birdhouses, nest shelves and nest platforms can and do help many species of birds in all types of habitats.

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Immature Light Morph Rough-legged Hawk in Flight & Landing

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-15T09:48:05-06:00December 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, field, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, immature, landing, light morph, marsh, nest box, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, Roughie, wetlands, winter|

Eight days ago I spent time photographing an immature, light morph Rough-legged Hawk at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah.

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Immature Rough-legged Hawk – Lift Off, Landing & Lunch

By Mia McPherson|2021-11-06T07:26:17-05:00December 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, flight, flying, hawk, hawks, immature, landing, lift off, light morph, lunch, marsh, nest box, prey, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, talons, vole, wetlands|

Yesterday morning I was able to photograph an immature Rough-legged Hawk lifting off, landing and lunching at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah.

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Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay

By Mia McPherson|2021-10-12T06:16:25-05:00January 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, drying, hawks, Hawks of Utah, nest box, perched, photograph, photographing, raptors, red-tailed, Red-tailed Hawk, snow, sub-adult, Wasatch Mountain Range, winter, yawning|

Almost three years ago today I spent time photographing a Red-tailed Hawk at Farmington Bay that was hunting in a snowy field while using a nest box as a perch to watch for prey.

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Perched Sub-adult Swainson’s Hawk in Low Light

By Mia McPherson|2021-03-31T14:44:46-05:00September 10th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: birds of prey, buteo, Buteo swainsoni, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Montana, low light, nest box, perched, raptors, sub-adult, Swainson's Hawk, wooden post|

I've been meaning to post images of this sub-adult Swainson's Hawk in low light for about a year now and I am finally getting around to it.

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Male American Kestrels on Nest Boxes

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-10T09:18:40-06:00January 24th, 2016|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, birds of prey, cavity nesters, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, kestrel, kestrels, males, marsh, nest box, nest boxes, perched, raptors, secondary cavity nesters, wetlands, winter|

Male American Kestrels look for and locate potential nesting cavities within their territories and inspect them prior to the nesting season.

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Male American Kestrel Taking off from a nest box

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-10T09:21:45-06:00October 28th, 2015|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, autumn, birds of prey, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, fall, kestrel, kestrels, male, marsh, nest box, raptor, sky, wetlands|

I photographed this male American Kestrel a few days ago at Farmington Bay WMA as it flew out of a nest box.

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Tree Swallow Defending Its Nest Photo In Memory Of A Great Friend

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-25T06:19:04-05:00July 7th, 2015|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: adult, defensive, flight, flying, great friend, in memory, male, nest box, Rohn McKee, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow, valley|

I'm posting this Tree Swallow image that was taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in memory of a great friend, Rohn McKee.

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Return of the Tree Swallows

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-25T06:12:04-05:00March 25th, 2015|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding season, bug eating machines, first of year, flight, flock, flying, male, marsh, migration, nest box, nesting box, phragmites, phrags, refuge, return, spring, stand, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, Tree Swallow|

Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.

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Goodbye 2014!

By Mia McPherson|2022-10-04T06:39:42-05:00December 31st, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: adult, bird photography, birds of prey, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, Davis County, hawks, Hawks of Utah, marsh, nest box, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, wetlands, winter|

As 2014 comes to an end I know I have tons to be grateful for in my personal life, my ever growing passion for bird and nature photography and life in general.

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Rough-legged Hawk lifting off

By Mia McPherson|2021-11-06T09:51:31-05:00December 27th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, feathered legs, feathered tarsi, hawk, hawks, lift off, light morph, marsh, nest box, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, sky, wetlands, winter|

Rough-legged Hawks are among my favorites of the raptors that over winter in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah because I only see them at this time of the year while they wait to head back to the subarctic and Arctic to breed.

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The Amazing Legacy of the Bluebird Man

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-28T18:24:42-05:00July 13th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Capitol Reef National Park, Centennial Valley, Conservation, Downy Woodpeckers, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows, Utah|Tags: adult, Al Larson, bluebird, bluebird trails, bluebirds, branch, cavity nesters, conservation, Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, female, fence rail, juvenile, Mountain Bluebird, nature, nest box, nesting box, nesting material, prey, secondary cavity nesters, Sialia currucoides, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, The Bluebird Man, Tree Swallow, wooden rail, woodpecker, woodpeckers, young|

I want to thank Neil Paprocki for sharing information about Al Larson and the upcoming film The Bluebird Man, I have learned a lot from the web site and through my interview with Neil and I am all for learning more about the wonderful natural world around me.

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Female Mountain Bluebirds in Montana

By Mia McPherson|2024-03-28T17:21:54-05:00June 15th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, bluebird, bluebirds, female, fence post, grasslands, Mountain Bluebird, nest box, nesting season, open canyons, prey, Sialia currucoides, spring, valley, wooden post|

There were Mountain Bluebirds everywhere I looked on my recent trip to Montana where flashes of their brilliant blue plumage were a delight to my eyes.

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