snow – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Northern Harrier

By Mia McPherson|January 31st, 2012|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: 2nd year, birds of prey, chattering, Circus hudsonius, desert island, diving, flight, flying, Gray Ghost, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, immature, low light, male, Marsh hawk, Northern Harrier, raptors, snow, winter|

This Northern Harrier displayed interesting behavior, it didn't appear to be hunting but it would dive into the vegetation where it would make a sound that reminded me of parrots chattering.

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High Key Fun

By Mia McPherson|December 14th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Anas platyrhynchos, Bald Eagle, Buteo lagopus, Buteos, ducks, female, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, hawk, hen, high key, immature, lift off, low light, Mallard, raptors, Rough-legged Hawk, snow, snowy, winter|

It seems that people either love high key images or they hate them. Personally; I believe that when a high key image is done well that they can be very appealing and have a place for them in my portfolio.

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American Kestrel Male

By Mia McPherson|July 20th, 2011|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, bird photography, Davis County, desert island, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Great Salt Lake, kestrel, kestrels, male, nature, not baited, perched, raptor, snow, wildlife, winter|

The American Kestrel is our smallest falcon in North America but what they lack in size I feel they make up for in attitude.

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Northern Harrier in Low Light

By Mia McPherson|May 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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Spring VS Old Man Winter

By Mia McPherson|April 3rd, 2011|Categories: Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Valley, Utah|Tags: April, buds, nature photography, Old Man Winter, photography, snow, spring, spring snow, trees, Utah|

Old Man Winter is still fighting to retain his icy grip on Utah and doesn't seem to want to to surrender the battle with Spring

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Black-billed Magpie Building A Nest After A Snow

By Mia McPherson|March 9th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: Black-billed Magpie, Davis County, magpie, magpies, mud, nest, nest building, nesting, nesting season, nests, Pica hudsonia, snow, twigs|

I felt that I had a real treat being able to photograph this Black-billed Magpie building a nest after a snow.

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Chukar Calling In The Snow

By Mia McPherson|March 8th, 2011|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Alectoris chukar, bird photography, calling, Chukar, Chukars, desert island, Frary Peak Trailhead, fresh, sky, snow, upland terrestrial birds, winter|

I was tickled to photograph this Chukar calling in the snow near the parking area of Frary Peak trailhead with the snow-covered mountain in the background.

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Snow, Bison Plus Chukars on Antelope Island State Park

By Mia McPherson|February 22nd, 2011|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: Alectoris chukar, American Bison, bird photography, birding, Chukar, Frary's Peak, landscapes, mountains, snow, Utah, wildlife photography|

When I first visited Antelope Island State Park I fell in love with its wild beauty, the windswept grasslands, pungent sagebrush, awesome views of the Great Salt Lake and the wildlife that abounds there.

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An Amazing Encounter…Or Two With A Young Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|February 17th, 2011|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: Bald Eagle, bird photography, birds of prey, close up, eagle, eagles, fence, fence rail, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature, juvenile, juveniles, marsh, mountains, one year old, perched, portrait, raptors, snow, winter, yearling, young|

I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.

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If Only…

By Mia McPherson|January 3rd, 2011|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: American Kestrel, birds of prey, Falco sparverius, falcons, flight, flying, frustrations in bird photography, male, marsh, prey, raptors, snow, snowy, wetlands, winter|

Taking the time to review my "bad images" strengthens me as a photographer.

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Western Meadowlark On A Cold Utah Morning

By Mia McPherson|December 10th, 2010|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: adult, cold, frost, hoar frost, ice, Icterids, marsh, meadowlark, meadowlarks, rock, snow, Sturnella neglecta, Western Meadowlark, wetlands, winter|

Not too long after I had gotten to my location I spotted a Western Meadowlark hunkered down on a rock trying to warm up with the rays of the rising sun.

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Big snow today!

By Mia McPherson|November 21st, 2010|Categories: Salt Lake County, Scenics, Utah|Tags: landscapes, nature, nature photography, November, photography, scenery, snow, snowscape, Utah|

I knew that when I woke up this morning there was a very good chance the ground would be covered with snow.

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Great Blue Herons

By Mia McPherson|September 26th, 2010|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County, Roosevelt Wetlands, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, baiting ethics, bird photography, close up, ethics, flight, flying, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, hunting, immature, juveniles, nest, nesting, perched, portrait, prey, sand dune, snag, snow, stalking, wading birds, wetlands, winter|

Great Blue Herons are North America's largest heron and one of the three largest herons in the world.

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