water – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Female Spotted Sandpiper Post-coital Photo

By Mia McPherson|July 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: Actitis macularia, adult, aerial chase, behavior, breeding behavior, breeding display, canyon, creek, female, ground chase, mating, mating behavior, mountains, one wing up, post copulation, post-coital, postcoital, posture, sandpiper, sandpipers, shore, shorebirds, Spotted Sandpiper, summer, water|

What intrigued me the most was the post-coital posture of the female Spotted Sandpiper where she kept one wing raised for a long period of time.

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What The Changes In The 2021 AOS Supplement Meant For Me

By Mia McPherson|June 26th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Double-crested Cormorants, Neotropic Cormorants, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: 2021 AOS Supplement, adult, autumn, Celtis reticulata, cormorant, cormorants, Corthylio calendula, desert, Double-crested Cormorant, fall, hackberry, kinglet, kinglets, landing, marsh, migration, Nannopterum auritus, Nannopterum brasilianum, Neotropic Cormorant, Netleaf Hackberry, perched, pond, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, shrub, spring, stump, urban, water, wetlands, winter|

The 2021 AOS Supplement did mean that I had a bit of work to do on my site after I read that it had been published on the ABA website last night.

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Spotted Sandpiper Foraging In White Water Crowfoot

By Mia McPherson|June 20th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: Actitis macularia, adult, aquatic wildflower, canyon, Common Water-Crowfoot, creek, foraging, mountains, native, prey, Ranunculus aquatilis, sandpiper, sandpipers, Spotted Sandpiper, spring, water, White Water Buttercup, White Water-crowfoot, wildflower|

Two days ago I photographed an adult Spotted Sandpiper foraging in Common Water-Crowfoot in a creek in the Wasatch Mountains.

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Utah Is Hot – Cooling Winter Wetland Views

By Mia McPherson|June 16th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: clouds, gulls, ice, marsh, mountains, record breaking temps, reflections, sky, snow, trees, Wasatch Mountain Range, Wasatch Mountains, water, wetlands, winter|

Utah is hot. It is scorching. Our hottest temps are yet to come and there is no relief in sight for our drought.

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Song Sparrow Eating A Snail

By Mia McPherson|June 12th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: adult, bill, canyon, creek, eating, Escargot, foraging, grasses, insert, Melospiza melodia, mountains, riparian habitat, snail, Song Sparrow, sparrow, sparrows, spring, stones, water|

Photographing a Song Sparrow eating a snail yesterday morning as it foraged in a creek in the Wasatch Mountains was a unique experience for me.

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Great Blue Heron and Mountain Goldenbanner

By Mia McPherson|June 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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Resting Ruddy Turnstone

By Mia McPherson|May 17th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: adult, Arenaria interpres, beach, breeding plumage, close up, coast, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, male, resting, Ruddy Turnstone, sand, shorebirds, sky, turnstone, turnstones, water|

Twelve years ago today I was on the beach at Fort De Soto County Park focused on photographing a male Ruddy Turnstone resting on the warm sand with the Gulf behind him.

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Bluebells, Currants, Warblers And A Duck

By Mia McPherson|May 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Shrubs, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|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 aestiva, 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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My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos

By Mia McPherson|May 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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Preening American White Pelican Optical Illusion

By Mia McPherson|May 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 Black-crowned Night Heron Butt Shot

By Mia McPherson|May 5th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-crowned Night Heron, butt shot, close up, flight, flying, heron, herons, marsh, night heron, night herons, Nycticorax nycticorax, phragmites, phrags, portrait, reflections, wading birds, water, wetlands, winter|

Some photos just make me laugh and this spring Black-crowned Night Heron butt shot image does just that.

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Spring Eared Grebe Photos

By Mia McPherson|May 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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Spring American Avocets At Bear River MBR

By Mia McPherson|April 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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Great Blue Heron Foraging In A Farm Pond

By Mia McPherson|April 22nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: adult, Ardea herodias, farm pond, foraging, golden light, Great Blue Heron, heron, herons, sun rise, sunrise, wading birds, water|

Two days ago the second bird I photographed was a Great Blue Heron foraging in a farm pond just after sunrise in Box Elder County.

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Spring Clark’s Grebe Photos

By Mia McPherson|April 13th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: adult, Aechmophorus clarkii, bills, Clark's Grebe, close up, crossed, grebe, grebes, marsh, mated, mates, pair, spring, water, wetlands, wind|

Yesterday morning I spent time relaxing in the marshes of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge plus I came home with a nice series of spring Clark's Grebe photos.

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Goodbye February 2021

By Mia McPherson|February 28th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: adult, Black-billed Magpie, corvid, desert island, magpie, magpies, nesting season, Pica hudsonia, puddle, spring, water|

I will not be sad to see February 2021 in the rear view mirror. It has been the second worst month for bird photography on record for me. Ever.

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Immature Male Northern Harrier Flying Over A Wintry Marsh

By Mia McPherson|February 14th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: birds of prey, Circus hudsonius, flight, flying, harrier, harriers, hawk, hawks, Hawks of Utah, ice, immature, male, marsh, Northern Harrier, raptors, small in frame, snow, water, winter, wintry, young|

This immature male Northern Harrier photo shows the hawk small in the frame with wintry marsh habitat behind and below it.

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Golden Eagle Flying Over A Hill On Antelope Island

By Mia McPherson|February 9th, 2021|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Golden Eagles, Utah|Tags: adult, American Bison, Aquila chrysaetos, birds of prey, Bison, Bison bison, buffalo, bull, close up, clouds, eagle, eagles, flight, flying, Golden Eagle, grass, grasses, Great Salt Lake, hill, lake, male, portrait, raptors, sky, water, winter|

It has been a couple of years since I have found a Golden Eagle on Antelope Island so when I spotted an adult on a grassy hill yesterday I was excited.

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World Wetlands Day 2021

By Mia McPherson|February 2nd, 2021|Categories: American Barn Owls, American Bitterns, American Coots, Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Black-crowned Night Herons, Blue-winged Teals, Brewer's Blackbirds, Centennial Valley, Checkered White Butterflies, Cinnamon Teals, Common Mergansers, Conservation, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Environment, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Greater Scaups, Green-winged Teals, Halloween Pennants, Hooded Mergansers, Least Sandpipers, Lesser Scaups, Long-tailed Weasels, Marsh Wrens, Montana, Moose, Muskrats, Northern Harriers, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-breasted Mergansers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Reddish Egrets, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Rusty Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Scarlet Skimmers, Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpipers, Tricolored Herons, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah, Variegated Meadowhawk, White-faced Ibises, Wildflowers, Wilson's Phalaropes, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: birds, critical, insects, plants, protection, water, wetlands, wildlife, World Wetlands Day|

February 2nd is World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the critical role of wetlands for people, wildlife and our planet.

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Winter Adult American Herring Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|January 29th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: adult, alert, American Herring Gull, Definitive Basic, gull, gulls, ice, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, walking, water, wetlands, winter|

Today I am sharing two winter adult Herring Gull photos that I took earlier this month from the auto tour route at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

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Winter Ruddy Duck Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|January 27th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: blue bill, diving, diving ducks, duck, ducks, first winter, hint, immature/female, male, Oxyura jamaicensis, pond, Ruddy Duck, water, waterfowl, winter|

Two days ago I photographed a Ruddy Duck close to home at my local pond. I was only able to take 14 image of it before it dove under the water and swam away.

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Leucistic Canada Goose

By Mia McPherson|January 26th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Leucistic, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, Branta canadensis, Canada Geese, Canada Goose, geese, goose, head, leucism, leucistic, odd plumage, partial leucism, Partially leucistic, plumage variation, pond, water, waterfowl, white head, white-headed, winter|

I didn't see any American Robins feeding on crabapples yesterday but I did find a leucistic Canada Goose at my local pond.

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Adult American Coot Bathing

By Mia McPherson|January 18th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Coot, bath, bathing, cold, coot, coots, Fulica americana, gruiformes, icy, pond, splashing, water, winter|

Three days ago I photographed this adult American Coot bathing on a sunny afternoon at a pond close to where I live in Salt Lake City.

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Winter Common Mergansers

By Mia McPherson|January 16th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, close up, Common Merganser, Definitive Basic Plumage, diving ducks, drake, drinking, duck, ducks, female, first winter, hen, immature, merganser, mergansers, Mergus merganser, pond, Salt Lake County, swimming, Utah, water, white patches, winter, young|

Yesterday and the day before I was able to observe and photograph winter Common Mergansers at my local pond on both sunny afternoons.

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Photographing Winter Birds

By Mia McPherson|January 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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First Winter American Herring Gulls

By Mia McPherson|January 11th, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: American Herring Gull, first cycle, first winter, gull, gulls, ice, immature, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, overwinter, walking, water, wetlands, winter, young|

I recently wrote about my excitement that American Herring Gulls have started showing up in northern Utah. Last week I was able to photograph some of them.

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Common Goldeneye Making Waves

By Mia McPherson|January 7th, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Goldeneyes, Utah|Tags: art imitates nature, Art Nouveau, bow wave, bubble, Bucephala clangula, Common Goldeneye, diving ducks, duck, ducks, goldeneye, goldeneyes, ice, landing, marsh, refuge, splashing, water, water formations, waterfowl, wave, wave formation, winter|

Yesterday morning I took a series of a Common Goldeneye making waves as he landed in icy cold water in the marshes of Bear River MBR.

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Brown Pelicans And Memories

By Mia McPherson|January 6th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Brown Pelicans, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: adult, Brown Pelican, clouds, feeding, flight, flock, flying, foraging, Gulf of Mexico, Laughing Gull, Pelecanus occidentalis, pelican, pelicans, skimmer, skimmers, sky, splashing, tern, terns, water, winter|

Eleven years ago this morning I had an amazing time photographing flocks of Brown Pelicans plunge feeding in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Winter American Herring Gulls In Utah

By Mia McPherson|January 3rd, 2021|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, close up, flight, flying, gull, gulls, immature, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, portrait, sky, subadult, water, winter, young|

Winter Herring Gulls have arrived in northern Utah and I am excited that I will have opportunities to photograph this gull species again.

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European Starling – My First Of Year Bird 2021

By Mia McPherson|January 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, European Starlings, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, bill, bill color, breeding plumage, calls, European Starling, in between, nonbreeding, pond, recording, starling, starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, water, winter, winter plumage|

The first bird I saw in 2021 was a European Starling perched on a power line on the road to my local grocery store about 8:15 am yesterday morning.

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