{"id":109925,"date":"2023-01-31T04:30:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T11:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=109925"},"modified":"2023-01-31T05:08:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T12:08:16","slug":"midwinter-daydreaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/31\/midwinter-daydreaming\/","title":{"rendered":"Midwinter Daydreaming"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have spent time daydreaming about the birds of spring and summer recently because I have a touch of the midwinter blues. It has been a very gray winter. The grayest since I moved here in 2009.<\/p>\n

\"LazuliLazuli Bunting on a fence \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve daydreamed about hearing my first of year Sandhill Cranes, Vesper Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Long-billed Curlews, and Green-tailed Towhees. While I daydream I can hear those birds on my mind. Pictures that I have taken of them flash in my mind’s eye.<\/p>\n

I feel excitement when I think about finding my first of year birds. The return of swallows, shorebirds, warblers, wrens, and buntings.<\/p>\n

And I’ve daydreamed of finding courting Red-tailed Hawks, spotting a newly constructed bird’s nest, and seeing young, bobble-headed birds.<\/p>\n

The moments I spend daydreaming about spring and summer birds are never a waste of my time. Those thoughts brighten even the dreariest midwinter day.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

The Lazuli Bunting in the image above was the last bunting that I photographed in 2022 high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Lazuli Bunting photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have spent time daydreaming about the birds of spring and summer recently because I have a touch of the midwinter blues. It has been a very gray winter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,380,4594,26,773],"tags":[4430,6530,3940,13656,3830,4067,1828,4062,4069,4270,4104,2315,4193],"class_list":["post-109925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-lazuli-buntings","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-barbed-wire","tag-bunting","tag-canyon","tag-daydreaming","tag-fence","tag-immature","tag-lazuli-bunting","tag-male","tag-mountains","tag-passerina-amoena","tag-perched","tag-summer-3","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lazuli-bunting-barbed-wire-mia-mcpherson-6158.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-sAZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":53621,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/08\/17\/lazuli-bunting-juvenile-perched-on-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":109925,"position":0},"title":"Lazuli Bunting Juvenile Perched On A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Even though the sun was high I couldn't resist photographing a juvenile Lazuli Bunting that flew in and perched on a Utah Serviceberry branch because to my eye the setting was both enchanting and very appealing.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Lazuli Bunting perched on a serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-juvenile-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-juvenile-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-juvenile-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-juvenile-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-5990.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93903,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/23\/immature-lazuli-bunting-look-for-the-gape\/","url_meta":{"origin":109925,"position":1},"title":"Immature Lazuli Bunting – Look For The Gape","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When I photographed this immature Lazuli Bunting three years ago today these images were eclipsed by me finding a rare Baltimore Oriole in the same area of the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Lazuli Bunting perched in a serviceberry - Inset showing the fleshy gape, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/lazuli-bunting-immature-gape-mia-mcpherson-inset-7588.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/lazuli-bunting-immature-gape-mia-mcpherson-inset-7588.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/lazuli-bunting-immature-gape-mia-mcpherson-inset-7588.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/lazuli-bunting-immature-gape-mia-mcpherson-inset-7588.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":104434,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/21\/young-lazuli-bunting-in-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":109925,"position":2},"title":"Young Lazuli Bunting In A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I escaped into the coolness of the Wasatch Mountains yesterday morning for a few hours. While I was there I photographed this young Lazuli Bunting.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lazuli Bunting juvenile in a serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/lazuli-bunting-immature-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6695.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/lazuli-bunting-immature-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6695.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/lazuli-bunting-immature-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6695.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-fence-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-4509.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-fence-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-4509.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-fence-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-4509.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-fence-sagebrush-mia-mcpherson-4509.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53812,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/08\/26\/lazuli-buntings-in-serviceberry-trees-fattening-up-before-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":109925,"position":4},"title":"Lazuli Buntings In Serviceberry Trees – Fattening Up Before Migration","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the past couple of weeks I have been able to photograph male, female and immature Lazuli Buntings as they have been gorging on the fruits of Serviceberry trees to fatten up before their migration.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult male Lazuli Bunting in a Serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-mia-mcpherson-8013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-mia-mcpherson-8013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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