{"id":138962,"date":"2025-01-25T04:21:25","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T10:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=138962"},"modified":"2025-07-07T10:18:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:18:13","slug":"5000-posts-later-my-journey-through-bird-and-nature-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/25\/5000-posts-later-my-journey-through-bird-and-nature-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"5000 Posts Later: My Journey Through Bird and Nature Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today marks 5,000 posts here at On The Wing Photography! My site shares my journey through bird and nature photography and my passion for everything it entails.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube fusion-aligncenter\" style=\"--awb-max-width:950px;--awb-max-height:534px;--awb-width:100%;--awb-margin-bottom:24px;\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT3H34M36S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge on January 24, 2025\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Sunrise on the Arkansas River at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. January 24, 2025. Life is good.\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-01-24\" \/><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/i3.ytimg.com\/vi\/t3Gec3Nk6FE\/hqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t3Gec3Nk6FE\" \/><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><lite-youtube videoid=\"t3Gec3Nk6FE\" class=\"landscape\" params=\"wmode=transparent&autoplay=1&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1\" title=\"Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge on January 24, 2025\" data-button-label=\"Play Video\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" data-thumbnail-size=\"auto\" data-no-cookie=\"on\"><\/lite-youtube><\/div><\/div>\n<p>Yesterday morning, I was next to the Arkansas River at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma for sunrise. I decided to take some videos and cell phone photos while standing near the riverbank. What a great way to start the day, peace, quiet, and beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n<p>In the 5,000 entries of what I like to think of as my daily journal, I have written close to three million words about birds, my love of nature, my adventures in the field, and so much more.<\/p>\n<p>It appears that I have a lot to say about what I do, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve seen amazing birds, witnessed beautiful views, made great friends, and learned so much about my subjects, nature, and myself. This journey I chose has added volumes to the rich tapestry of my life. I\u2019ve found peace and excitement, joy and, at times, sadness, knowledge, and with each day in the field, wonders.<\/p>\n<p>I have tested my skills, pushed my gear to its limits at times, and through it all, felt like the path I chose was perfect for me.<\/p>\n<p>Sharing my &#8220;daily journal,&#8221; my photos, and my thoughts with you all has been terrific. I hope my passion and love for my subjects come through in every image I share and each word I write.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m looking forward to what tomorrow brings, the birds and animals I will see and photograph, the knowledge I will gain, and the places my journeys will take me. In nature, there are always wonders, beauty, and surprises.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for being part of my life. Feel free to join me for the rest of my journey.<\/p>\n<p>Life<em> is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/\">here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my photos of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma plus facts and information about the refuge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today marks 5,000 posts here at On The Wing Photography! My site shares my journey through bird and nature photography and my passion for everything it entails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":138959,"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":[12082,13973,13974],"tags":[16171,14023,16172,1030,10605,5558,16008,4018,4190,3996,373],"class_list":["post-138962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-milestone","category-oklahoma","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-5000-posts","tag-arkansas-river","tag-daily-journal","tag-dawn","tag-ripples","tag-river","tag-sequoyah-nwr","tag-sky","tag-sunrise","tag-water","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-065922.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-A9k","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":144022,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/10\/gray-treefrog-photo-and-audio-recording\/","url_meta":{"origin":138962,"position":0},"title":"Gray Treefrog Photo And Audio Recording","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted to share a brief Gray Treefrog audio recording I made last month. I finally got around to editing the clip yesterday.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gray Treefrogs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gray Treefrogs","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/gray-treefrogs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Gray Treefrog clinging to a leaf, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-tree-frog-5361-mia-mcpherson-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-tree-frog-5361-mia-mcpherson-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-tree-frog-5361-mia-mcpherson-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-tree-frog-5361-mia-mcpherson-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113894,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/06\/20\/male-indigo-bunting-at-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":138962,"position":1},"title":"Male Indigo Bunting at Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm thrilled with the photos I took of a male Indigo Bunting at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma yesterday morning near the Arkansas River.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Indigo Bunting near the Arkansas River, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/indigo-bunting-adult-male-oklahoma-mia-mcpherson-0383.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/indigo-bunting-adult-male-oklahoma-mia-mcpherson-0383.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/indigo-bunting-adult-male-oklahoma-mia-mcpherson-0383.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/indigo-bunting-adult-male-oklahoma-mia-mcpherson-0383.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":139004,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/28\/january-journey-to-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":138962,"position":2},"title":"January Journey To Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"My journeys to Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma are always wonderful, even when I don\u2019t take many photos or the weather isn\u2019t all that great.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Great Blue Herons&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Great Blue Herons","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/wading-birds\/great-blue-herons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Blue Heron hunting in a slough at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/great-blue-heron-slough-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-2075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/great-blue-heron-slough-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-2075.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Eagles","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/diurnal-raptors\/bald-eagle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Regal immature Bald Eagle at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/bald-eagle-immature-cottonwood-mia-mcpherson-0473.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":140218,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/18\/two-wintertime-views-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":138962,"position":4},"title":"Two Wintertime Views At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent the morning at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, and I have to say, the sunrise was simply glorious. It was pretty cold, too.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Oklahoma&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Reeve's Slough wintertime view with ducks too, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sequoyah-nwr-winter-scenic-mia-mcpherson-C3235.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sequoyah-nwr-winter-scenic-mia-mcpherson-C3235.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sequoyah-nwr-winter-scenic-mia-mcpherson-C3235.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/sequoyah-nwr-winter-scenic-mia-mcpherson-C3235.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":163577,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/11\/13\/young-white-crowned-sparrow-and-a-november-sunrise\/","url_meta":{"origin":138962,"position":5},"title":"Young White-crowned Sparrow And A November Sunrise","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am sharing White-crowned Sparrow photos, plus a bonus Arkansas River sunrise image taken yesterday at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young White-crowned Sparrow at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0600.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}