tree – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

International Vulture Awareness Day 2023

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-02T05:25:14-05:00September 2nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black Vultures, Box Elder County, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: adult, Black Vulture, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, Cathartes aura, cliff face, Coragyps atratus, desert, foothills, immature, juvenile, lichen, lichens, nest, nesting cavity tree, ranchlands, raptors, rocks, roosting, spring, Steve Creek, summer, tree, Turkey Vulture, vulture, vultures, young|

Today is International Vulture Awareness Day 2023. I admit to having a soft spot for vultures because they are often misunderstood, and because I tend to stand up for those who have no voice.

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Warbling Vireo In A Willow

By Mia McPherson|2023-08-22T04:43:01-05:00August 22nd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Utah, Warbling Vireos, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, call, canyon, gall, leaves, mountains, perched, summer, tree, vireo, Vireo gilvus, vireos, Warbling Vireo, willow|

Last week, I was glad to have this Warbling Vireo in my viewfinder when I was high up in the Wasatch Mountains with my dear friend, April Olson.

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Raccoon Images From Sequoyah NWR

By Mia McPherson|2023-08-03T05:02:34-05:00August 3rd, 2023|Categories: Oklahoma, Raccoons, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, Azolla, bottomland hardwood forest, bottomlands, branches, close up, Cottonwood, covered, foraging, low light, mammals, Miner's Cove, portrait, Procyon lotor, Raccoon, raccoons, slough, spring, tree, vine|

When I visited Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge with my friend Steve Creek, I was tickled to take several Raccoon images from various locations at the refuge.

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Young And Adult Blue Jay Photos From Arkansas

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-08T02:38:49-05:00August 1st, 2023|Categories: Arkansas, Birds, Blue Jays, Sebastian County|Tags: adult, Blue Jay, branch, calling, Cicada, close up, corvids, Cyanocitta cristata, driftwood, drinking, exoskeleton, immature, jay, jays, pine, portrait, spring, summer, tree, trunk, urban, water, yard, young|

This morning, I am sharing young and adult Blue Jay photos that I took from my dear friend Steve Creek's deck while I was staying with him in Arkansas.

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Horned Passalus Beetle Photos From Oklahoma

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-26T04:25:34-05:00July 26th, 2023|Categories: Horned Passalus Beetles, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, beetle, beetles, bess beetles, Betsey Beetles, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, crawling, decaying, fallen, food, Horned Passalus Beetle, insects, log, Odontotaenius disjunctus, Patent-leather Beetles, searching, spring, tree, wood|

I'm focusing on beetles this morning. More precisely, I'm sharing Horned Passalus Beetle photos that I took at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

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Red-headed Woodpecker Photos From Sequoyah NWR

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-20T05:22:46-05:00July 20th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Oklahoma, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, branches, Cottonwood, dead, leaves, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, nest, nesting, nesting cavity, nesting cavity tree, Red-headed Woodpecker, sky, snag, spring, tree, trunk, woodpecker, woodpeckers|

These Red-headed Woodpecker photos were taken last month at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. I had one great day with this species in two spots on the refuge.

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3000 Daily Posts In A Row Milestone

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-19T13:06:50-05:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Milestone, Targhee National Forest, Williamson's Sapsuckers|Tags: adult, aspen, aspens, breeding season, Clark County, clinging, forest, idaho, male, milestone, nesting, Populus tremuloides, Quaking Aspen, sapsucker, sapsuckers, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, spring, tree, Williamson's Sapsucker, woodpeckers|

Today is a milestone day for me. I'm celebrating the fact that I have shared 3000 daily posts here at On The Wing Photography in a row.

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Female And Male Common Whitetail Dragonfly Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-07T03:25:03-05:00July 4th, 2023|Categories: Common Whitetail, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, Common Whitetail, Common Whitetail Dragonfly, dragonflies, dragonfly, fallen, female, male, odonata, Plathemis lydia, spring, tree|

Last month, while visiting Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma, I was able to take quite a few female and male Common Whitetail dragonfly photos.

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Yellow-crowned Night Heron At Sequoyah NWR

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-03T08:55:03-05:00June 28th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Yellow-crowned Night Herons|Tags: adult, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, branch, heron, herons, leaves, Miner's Cove, night heron, night herons, Nyctanassa violacea, perched, summer, tree, Yellow-crowned Night Heron|

Until a few days ago, I hadn't photographed a single Yellow-crowned Night Heron in almost fourteen years. I photographed this one at Sequoyah NWR in Oklahoma.

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Young Black Vulture Snuggled Into A Tree Cavity Nest

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-08T02:39:34-05:00June 23rd, 2023|Categories: Birds, Black Vultures, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: Black Vulture, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, Coragyps atratus, immature, juvenile, nesting cavity tree, summer, tree, vulture, vultures, young|

This young Black Vulture in a tree cavity nest made me happy dance yesterday morning at Sequoyah NWR when it was close to the entrance of the nesting cavity.

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My Lifer Dickcissel Photos At Sequoyah NWR

By Mia McPherson|2023-06-18T14:34:33-05:00June 19th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Dickcissels, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: adult, back view, bottomland hardwood forests, bottomlands, branch, Cottonwood, Dickcissel, Dickcissels, male, mayfly, Oklahoma, perched, pose, pre-lift off, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Spiza americana, spring, tree|

The subject today is my lifer Dickcissel photos taken at Sequoyah NWR in Oklahoma. Huge thanks go to my friend Steve for putting me on this male.

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Live, Love, Laugh, Sing, Dance, Be, Do

By Mia McPherson|2023-08-11T15:23:09-05:00May 18th, 2023|Categories: Anclote Key, Florida, Pasco County, Pinellas County|Tags: Anclote Key, Australian Pine, clouds, coastal, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, island, key, Mia McPherson, Nanea Hoffman, New Port Richey, Pasco County, Pinellas County, quote, sand, sky, spit, tree, trees, water, waves|

I saw this quote that aligns with my philosophy of Live, Love, Laugh, Sing, Dance, Be, Do and thought I would share a post about the reason I like the quote.

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Curvy Willow Catkins

By Mia McPherson|2023-05-16T02:40:20-05:00May 16th, 2023|Categories: Summit County, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: canyon, catkin, catkins, close up, mountains, spring, tree, trees, willow, willows|

I took this photo of willow catkins just two years ago high in the Wasatch Mountains because I liked the curvy catkins and the simplicity of the image.

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Pretty but Problematic: The Bradford Pear Tree

By Mia McPherson|2023-05-07T07:15:39-05:00May 7th, 2023|Categories: Bradford Pears, Salt Lake County, Trees, Shrubs and Flowers, Utah|Tags: blooming, blossoms, Bradford Pear, Callery Pear, close up, flowering, flowering tree, flowers, invasive, nonnative, park, pear, Pyrus calleryana, spring, tree, trees, urban|

On the first of May I took a series of blossoming Bradford Pear tree images. I've been meaning to do that for years to show that they are pretty, but...

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Mix Of Urban Birds Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|2023-04-10T03:34:45-05:00April 10th, 2023|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Double-crested Cormorants, Red-winged Blackbirds, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Savannah Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Utah|Tags: accipiter, Accipiter striatus, Accipiters, adult, Agelaius phoeniceus, American Robin, Aythya americana, basketball backstop, blackbird, blackbirds, branches, cattail, close up, cormorant, cormorants, curb, Double-crested Cormorant, drake, duck, ducks, edge, habitat, hawks, immature, landing, male, Nannopterum auritus, neighborhood, park, Passerculus sandwichensis, perched, pond, portrait, raptors, Red-winged Blackbird, Redhead, redheads, robin, robins, Savannah Sparrow, Sharp-shinned Hawk, sky, small in frame, snow, sparrow, sparrows, splash, splashy, spring, stinkeye, thrush, thrushes, tree, Turdus migratorius, urban, water, waterbirds, waterfowl, young|

This mix of urban birds were taken over a two day period close to home. Birds, no matter where they are, bring me joy, happiness, and even laughter.

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Spring Wild Turkey Photos With Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-04-04T04:59:10-05:00April 4th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Salt Lake County, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wild Turkeys|Tags: adult, branches, desert, displaying, female, hen, high key, male, Meleagris gallopavo, mountans, road, sky island mountains, snow, snowstorm, snowy, spring, tom, tree, turkey, turkeys, upland game birds, urban, Wild Turkey|

Three years ago by this date I was already taking Wild Turkey photos in the canyons of the sky island mountains of the West Desert of Utah.

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Murder Of American Crows Calling

By Mia McPherson|2023-08-31T05:55:25-05:00February 11th, 2023|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Video|Tags: American Crow, branches, Corvus brachyrhynchos, crow, crows, human, marsh, mountains, murder, Noise Intrusion, snow, snow covered, tree, urban sprawl, video, Wasatch Mountains, wetlands, winter|

To my delight, I heard and saw hundreds of American Crows at Farmington Bay WMA on my visit there early yesterday morning. The crows were great company.

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Winter American Robin In A Crabapple

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-26T04:01:38-06:00January 26th, 2023|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Robin, calling, crabapple, crabapples, fog, fruit, fruits, Malus, perched, robin, robins, thrush, thrushes, tree, Turdus migratorius, urban, winter|

After an overnight snowfall I drove to a grove of crabapples. I photographed this winter American Robin perched in one of the fruit bearing trees in low light.

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Missing Our Neighborhood Bald Eagle

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-23T10:19:27-06:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, birds of prey, branches, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, mountains, neighborhood, pond, raptors, sky, tree, trees, urban, winter|

By this time in January I have usually already seen and photographed our neighborhood Bald Eagle that visits during the winter for a few weeks.

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Female American Kestrel On A Tree Top

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-13T04:29:29-06:00January 13th, 2023|Categories: American Kestrels, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Kestrel, branches, Falco sparverius, falcon, falcons, Falcons of Utah, female, kestrel, kestrels, marsh, perched, seed pods, tree, wetlands, winter|

I spent a few moments photographing a gorgeous female American Kestrel on a tree top yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA.

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Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay With Different Backgrounds

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-12T14:31:38-06:00January 12th, 2023|Categories: Birds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays|Tags: adult, Aphelocoma woodhouseii, background, desert, foot hills, jay, jays, juniper, junipers, Juniperus osteosperma, mountains, perched, scrub-jay, scrub-jays, sky, sky island mountains, tree, trees, Utah Juniper, winter, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay|

This morning I'm sharing two photos of the same Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay perched in the West Desert on the same juniper with two different backgrounds.

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Some Days Are Golden

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-10T03:28:43-06:00January 10th, 2023|Categories: Salt Lake County, Trees, Utah, Water Birch|Tags: Betula occidentalis, birch, birches, broadleaf tree, close up, golden, leaf, Salt Lake County, specular highlight, tree, trees, urban, Utah, Water Birch|

Some days are golden. Some days are decidedly not. This is just a short post because yesterday was definitely not.

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Sawgrass Lake Park Photos

By Mia McPherson|2023-01-09T04:18:39-06:00January 9th, 2023|Categories: Anhingas, Birds, Florida, Pinellas County, Sawgrass Lake Park|Tags: adult, anhinga, Anhinga anhinga, anhingas, branches, golden light, grasses, hills, lake, leaves, male, misty, morning, nesting material, Spanish Moss, summer, Tillandsia usneoides, tree, trees, water, wetlands|

This morning I am traveling back in time via my archives to revisit Sawgrass Lake Park in Pinellas County, Florida.

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My Birding By Ear Affliction

By Mia McPherson|2023-07-27T03:41:28-05:00January 7th, 2023|Categories: American Crows, Barred Owls, Birds, Blue Jays, Florida, Hillsborough County, Lettuce Lake Regional Park, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Crow, autumn, Barred Owl, birding by ear, Blue Jay, branches, corvids, Corvus brachyrhynchos, crow, crows, Cyanocitta cristata, epiphytic flowering plant, fall, hardwood hammock, ice, jay, jays, marsh, owl, owls, peanut, perched, Spanish Moss, Strix varia, Tillandsia usneoides, tree, wetlands, winter|

My birding by ear affliction isn't that I can't hear birds; it is that I can't not hear them. Even when I am on the phone with my friends.

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Gadwall Drake Resting In Snow

By Mia McPherson|2023-03-12T04:18:55-05:00January 4th, 2023|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, coot, coots, dabbling ducks, drake, duck, ducks, foraging, Fulica americana, Gadwall, gadwalls, leucism, leucistic, male, Mareca strepera, plumage aberration, pond, resting, snow, tree, trunk, urban, water, winter|

This morning I'm sharing photos of a Gadwall drake resting in snow plus a bonus photo of the leucistic American Coot taken yesterday in afternoon light.

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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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Glowing Sunset In The Heart Of A Spruce Tree

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-12T07:14:32-06:00December 12th, 2022|Categories: Salt Lake County, Trees, Utah|Tags: autumn, boughs, branches, fall, glowing, heart, picea, snow, spruce tree, sun, sunset, tree|

For a brief period of time in December when conditions are right I can see the glowing sunset in the heart of my neighbor's spruce tree each year.

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Crabapples, Snow And Male House Finch Photos

By Mia McPherson|2022-12-09T05:09:53-06:00December 9th, 2022|Categories: Birds, House Finches, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, bill, branches, crabapple, crabapple tree, crabapples, eating, fall, finch, finches, fruit, gorging, Haemorhous mexicanus, House Finch, male, Malus, perched, sky, snow, snowy, tree, urban|

After I cleared the snow from my Jeep yesterday morning, I went out for a bit and took a few male House Finch photos as they feasted on crabapples.

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Sycamore Bark Close Up

By Mia McPherson|2023-09-08T02:46:15-05:00December 5th, 2022|Categories: American Sycamore, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Sycamore, Australia, autumn, bark, close up, deciduous tree, eucalyptus trees, fall, gum trees, Pigeon House Mountain Didthul walking track, Platanus occidentalis, sycamore, termite mound, tree, tree trunk, trees, trunk|

Yesterday afternoon, after I walked around my local pond and the Jordan River Parkway Trail, I stopped to take close up photos of the bark on my neighbor's American Sycamore tree.

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Immature Red-tailed Hawk Head On Stare

By Mia McPherson|2022-11-28T04:39:23-06:00November 28th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: autumn, birds of prey, branches, Buteo jamaicensis, Buteos, fall, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, head on, immature, marsh, perched, raptors, Red-tailed Hawk, stare, tree, young|

If I were a vole, I'd tremble in fear under the head on stare of this immature Red-tailed Hawk that I photographed last week at Farmington Bay WMA.

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