spring – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Uinta Chipmunks In The High Uinta Mountains

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-09T04:06:50-05:00June 8th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Chipmunks, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: adult, Bald Mountain overlook, boulders, chipmunk, chipmunks, forest, grooming, hidden forest chipmunk, high Uintas, lichen, male, mountains, Neotamias umbrinus, pair, resting, rocks, scenery, spring, tree trunk, Uinta Chipmunk|

I spent yesterday morning traveling Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta Mountains and came home with a few photos of Uinta Chipmunks.

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Spring Female Black-chinned Hummingbird Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-07T04:58:33-05:00June 7th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, Black Twin Berry, Black twinberry honeysuckle, Black-chinned Hummingbird, canyon, feeding, female, honeysuckle, honeysuckles, hovering, hummingbird, hummingbirds, Lonicera involucrata, mountains, nectaring, resting, riparian habitat, spring, willows|

I took my first Black-chinned Hummingbird of the year photos in the middle of May but it wasn't until the end of the month that I took some that I liked.

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Male Belted Kingfisher Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-05T06:09:36-05:00June 5th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Belted Kingfisher, branch, canyon, creek, favored, fish, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, metal post, mountains, perch, perched, prey, spring, yellow wildflowers|

Today I am sharing four male Belted Kingfisher photos that I have taken this spring in the Wasatch Mountains starting with one that I took yesterday morning.

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Lark Sparrow In Golden Morning Light

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-04T05:29:30-05:00June 4th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Lark Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Chondestes grammacus, clouds, fence, fence post, fence posts, foothills, golden light, grasses, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, Lark Sparrow, mountains, perched, sky, sky island mountains, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Utah Juniper|

Two days ago I photographed this adult Lark Sparrow that I found perched on an old fence post in golden light in the West Desert of Tooele County.

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Chipping Sparrow With Food For Its Chicks

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-03T05:28:36-05:00June 3rd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, breeding season, Chipping Sparrow, food, foothills, juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, mountains, perched, prey, sky island mountains, sparrow, sparrows, Spizella passerina, spring, Utah Juniper|

I was photographing a Lark Sparrow when I spotted this Chipping Sparrow with food in its bill fly in and land on a juniper bough.

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Great Blue Heron and Mountain Goldenbanner

By Mia McPherson|2021-06-02T04:50:47-05:00June 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Morgan County, Small in the frame, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, blooming, blooms, canyon, Filamentous algae, flowering, grasses, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, Mountain Goldenbanner, mountain meadow, Mountain Thermopsis, mountains, pond, spring, Thermopsis montana, wading birds, water, wildflowers, willows, yellow wildflowers|

Yesterday I wrote about a Golden Eagle in the Wasatch Mountains. Today I am writing about "golden" again. Blooming Mountain Goldenbanner and a Great Blue Heron.

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Adult Golden Eagle In Flight In The Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|2023-11-12T08:08:38-06:00June 1st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Golden Eagles, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, canyon, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, mountains, raptor, spring|

The last time I was in the Wasatch Mountains I had a brief window of opportunity to photograph an adult Golden Eagle in flight.

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Recent Birds I’ve Found In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-26T10:14:55-06:00May 31st, 2021|Categories: Birds, House Wrens, Lazuli Buntings, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, West Desert, Western Kingbirds|Tags: adult, barbed wire, basking, branch, bunting, buntings, Buteos, canyon, fence, fence post, foothills, foraging, forest, hawk, hawks, House Wren, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, kingbird, kingbirds, Lazuli Bunting, male, mixed deciduous conifer forest, morning, mountains, Passerina amoena, perched, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, sky, sky island mountains, spring, sun, Troglodytes aedon, Tyrannus verticalis, tyrant flycatchers, Utah Juniper, vireo, Vireo gilvus, vireos, Warbling Vireo, warmth, Western Kingbird, wild rose, wooden post, wren, wrens|

Last week I made two trips out to the West Desert and today I am sharing a medley of recent birds that I found while I was out there.

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West Desert Rock Wren Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-31T16:06:50-05:00May 30th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, desert, early morning light, fence post, foothills, gnarly, juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus, singing, sky island mountains, spring, Utah Juniper, wooden post, wren, wrens|

I have been able to take more Rock Wren photos in the West Desert the last two times I have wandered out there.

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Male Western Tanager Close Up Image

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-29T06:35:00-05:00May 29th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Tanagers|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, close up, fence, foothills, juniper forest, male, mountains, perched, Piranga ludoviciana, sky island mountains, spring, unmistakable, Western Tanager, wire fence|

Two days ago I had the opportunity to photograph a male Western Tanager up close in the foothills of some of the sky island mountains in the West Desert of Utah.

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Female Black-chinned Hummingbird And A Knothole

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-28T05:24:26-05:00May 28th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, Archilochus alexandri, behavior, Black-chinned Hummingbird, canyon, female, flight, flying, forest, hummingbird, knothole, mountains, sky island mountains, spring, tree, trees|

Yesterday while out in the sky island mountains of the West Desert I spotted a female Black-chinned Hummingbird repeatedly checking out a knothole in a tree.

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Violet-green Swallow Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-27T04:56:39-05:00May 27th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: adult, alpine forest, branch, branches, canyon, female, flight, flying, forest, guarding, male, mountains, nesting cavity, scuffling, sky, sky island mountains, spring, swallow, swallows, Tachycineta thalassina, Tooele County, tree, trees, tussling, Utah, Violet-green Swallow, west desert|

Yesterday I was able to take the Violet-green Swallow photos that I have been dreaming of since I first moved to Utah in 2009.

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Resting Willow Flycatcher

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-25T04:56:10-05:00May 25th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Willow Flycatchers|Tags: adult, branch, canyon, Empidonax traillii, Empids, flycatcher, flycatchers, forest, mountains, perched, resting, riparian habitat, spring, willow, Willow Flycatcher|

The last time I was up in the Wasatch Mountains I heard several "FITZ-bew" calls but didn't see a single Willow Flycatcher out in the open.

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Subadult Peregrine Falcon

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-24T05:52:59-05:00May 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Peregrine Falcons, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult plumage, birds of prey, calling, desert, Falco peregrinus, falcon, falcons, fence post, First Spring, flight, flying, foothills, immature, juvenal plumage, lift off, lifting off, molt, molting, Peregrine Falcon, raptors, second year bird, sky, spring, sub-adult, subadult, take off, taking off, wooden post, young|

Last week before I found the Rock Wren I wrote about I also found a subadult Peregrine Falcon perched on a wooden post in the West Desert.

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Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers And A Butterfly

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-09T04:59:37-06:00May 23rd, 2021|Categories: California Tortoiseshell Butterflies, Shrubs, Tooele County, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: Abies concolor, aspen, aspens, bloom, blooming, blossoms, butterflies, butterfly, California Tortoiseshell butterfly, cone, cones, currant, currants, Douglas fir, fir, firs, Gray's Biscuitroot, Hydrophyllum occidentale, Lomatium grayi, Nymphalis californica, Populus tremuloides, prunus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quaking Aspen, Ribes cereum, shrubs, spring, trees, Wax Currant, Western Chokecherry, Western Waterleaf, White Fir|

On a recent trip to the West Desert sky island mountains in Tooele County I found my lens pointed at trees, shrubs, wildflowers and a butterfly.

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Spring Female Cassin’s Finch

By Mia McPherson|2024-05-21T04:57:36-05:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Birds, Cassin's Finches, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, alpine creek, branches, canyon, Cassin's Finch, creek, creekside, female, finch, finches, Haemorhous cassinii, mountains, paying attention, sky island mountains, spring, willows|

When this female Cassin's Finch landed next to a creek two days ago in the West Desert I was happy to take her photo.

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Singing Rock Wren In The West Desert

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-31T15:45:16-05:00May 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Rock Wrens, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: adult, back view, clod, desert, dirt, end, foothills, grass, grasses, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, perched, rock, Rock Wren, rocks, Salpinctes obsoletus, singing, sky island mountains, spring, tail, Tooele County, Utah, Utah Juniper, west desert, wren, wrens|

Yesterday when I spotted a Rock Wren singing from the top of a juniper in Utah's West Desert I hoped to take a few decent photos of it before it flew away.

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Spring Orange-crowned Warbler

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-19T04:56:48-05:00May 19th, 2021|Categories: Orange-crowned Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, Amelanchier utahensis, Leiothlypis celata, Orange-crowned Warbler, perched, spring, Utah Serviceberry, warbler, warblers, wood-warblers|

I was happy to spot and photograph my first of season Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Uinta Ground Squirrel And An Ant

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-18T05:12:22-05:00May 18th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, ant, eating, grass, grasses, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, insect, spring, squirrel, squirrels, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus|

Last week while up in the Wasatch Mountains I took a series of close up images of this Uinta Ground Squirrel plus an ant on its right front leg.

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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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Springtime Vesper Sparrow Images

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-07T10:34:39-06:00May 13th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, back view, canyon, close up, grass, grasses, leaning, metal post, mountains, perched, Poocetes gramineus, post, rock, sage, sagebrush, shoulder, singing, sparrow, sparrows, spring, Summit County, Utah, Vesper Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains|

Yesterday morning I heard my first Vesper Sparrow of spring singing high in the Wasatch Mountains. I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time.

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Male Belted Kingfisher And Pussy Willows

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-10T05:38:23-05:00May 10th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, alert, background, Belted Kingfisher, branch, canyon, catkins, creek, kingfisher, kingfishers, male, Megaceryle alcyon, mountains, perched, pussy willows, spring, well weathered, willows|

Saturday morning I was delighted when a male Belted Kingfisher flew in and perched in front of pussy willow catkins high in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Spring Yellow Warbler Joy

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-09T06:13:43-05:00May 9th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow Warblers|Tags: adult, branch, canyon, male, mountains, perched, Setophaga petechia, spring, warbler, warblers, willow, willows, wood-warblers, Yellow Warbler|

I took my first of year Yellow Warbler photos in the Wasatch Mountains when I drove up into the mountains on Friday morning.

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My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-08T05:16:27-05:00May 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Actitis macularia, adult, breeding plumage, calling, canyon, creek, Definitive Alternate Plumage, Definitive Basic Plumage, mountains, nonbreeding plumage, perched, sandpiper, sandpipers, shorebirds, Spotted Sandpiper, spring, stump, water|

I took my first of season Spotted Sandpiper photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as I sat in my Jeep next to a creek.

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Spring Barn Swallow Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-07T05:01:18-05:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: Barn Swallows, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, Barn Swallow, close up, Hirundo rustica, marsh, morning, perched, phragmites, phrags, resting, spring, swallow, swallows, wetlands|

This morning I wanted to share two Barn Swallow photos that I took two mornings ago on the north side of the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Preening American White Pelican Optical Illusion

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-06T04:35:26-05:00May 6th, 2021|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American White Pelican, marsh, optical illusion, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, pelican, pelicans, preening, spring, water, wetlands|

This single American White Pelican photo contains an optical illusion that confused my brain when I first viewed it and confuses my brain still.

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Spring Eared Grebe Photos

By Mia McPherson|2021-05-04T05:14:56-05:00May 4th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Eared Grebes, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, chase, Eared Grebe, fish, grebe, grebes, marsh, Podiceps nigricollis, prey, spring, water, wetlands|

One morning last week I had many opportunities to take Eared Grebe photos at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge including one grebe with a large fish.

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Great Blue Heron In Flight Photos

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-18T09:23:37-06:00May 1st, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, banked, clouds, diffused light, dorsal aspect, flight, flying, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, high, marsh, morning, on the wing, Promontory Mountains, spread, spring, sunlight, thin, wading birds, wetlands, wings|

Today I am sharing seven Great Blue Heron in flight photos from the marsh at Bear River MBR that I took three days ago.

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My First Of Year Uinta Ground Squirrels

By Mia McPherson|2021-04-30T10:18:41-05:00April 30th, 2021|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, canyon, frost, frosted, frosty, grass, grasses, ground squirrel, ground squirrels, morning, mountains, side by side, spring, squirrel, squirrels, standing, Uinta Ground Squirrel, Urocitellus armatus|

Yesterday I spent some time up in the Wasatch Mountains where I found and photographed my first of year Uinta Ground Squirrels with frost on the ground.

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Spring American Avocets At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|2024-02-28T04:23:11-06:00April 28th, 2021|Categories: American Avocets, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Avocet, American Avocets, avocet, avocets, early morning, flock, marsh, preening, Recurvirostra americana, resting, river, shorebirds, spring, water, wetlands|

At the end of last month I spotted a small flock of American Avocets early in the morning at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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