{"id":139714,"date":"2025-02-10T02:38:53","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T08:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=139714"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:04:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T17:04:46","slug":"my-first-winter-in-arkansas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/02\/10\/my-first-winter-in-arkansas\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Winter In Arkansas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is only 38 days away, and I\u2019m wrapping up my first winter in Arkansas with a sense of appreciation for this new landscape and environment.<\/p>\n

After spending so many years in Utah, I wasn\u2019t sure exactly what to expect, but I\u2019ve quickly learned that winter here has its own rhythm, one I\u2019ve come to enjoy. The landscape may not be buried in deep snow, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s lacking in seasonal beauty. Instead, the softer, more subtle changes make every day worth watching.<\/p>\n

\"RustyRusty Blackbird walking through snow in Arkansas \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/320, ISO 1000, +2.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The birdlife has been a highlight, especially seeing new winter birds I never saw in Utah, like Purple Finches. I\u2019ve also been able to photograph birds I rarely saw there, including Rusty Blackbirds, White-throated Sparrows, and Fox Sparrows.<\/p>\n

Carolina Wrens have been as bold and energetic as ever, darting around the yard and filling quiet mornings with their big voices. Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Cardinals add splashes of color to the more muted winter scenery, and I never get tired of watching them.<\/p>\n

\"RustyRusty Blackbird in deep snow \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/250, ISO 1000, +2.3 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 371mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The weather has been different from what I was used to in Utah. There\u2019s less snow, but the cold feels different because of the humidity. Temperatures have ranged from cool and pleasant to very cold, but it\u2019s the dampness in the air that makes a difference.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a season of discovery, new places, new birds and wildlife, new patterns in nature that I hadn\u2019t experienced before. With only a little over a month left until spring, I know there\u2019s still more to explore and enjoy, but so far, my first Arkansas<\/span><\/a> winter has been a great one.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see my Rusty Blackbird photo gallery plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring is only 38 days away, and I\u2019m wrapping up my first winter in Arkansas with a sense of appreciation for this new landscape and environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139708,"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":[13950,10688,13951],"tags":[4004,13965,3813,3483,10765,10689,13981,4070,4175,3984,13931,10690,13964,4050,4328,15824,4236,373,13966],"class_list":["post-139714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-rusty-blackbirds","category-sebastian-county","tag-adult","tag-arkansas","tag-blackbird","tag-blackbirds","tag-deep","tag-euphagus-carolinus","tag-feeder","tag-female","tag-fog","tag-foggy","tag-garden","tag-rusty-blackbird","tag-sebastian-county","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-suburban","tag-walking","tag-winter","tag-yard"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/rusty-blackbird-female-snow-winter-mia-mcpherson-7903.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Als","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":166679,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/01\/11\/rusty-blackbird-and-snow-in-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":0},"title":"Rusty Blackbird And Snow In Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"One year ago today I sat on my friend Steve Creek's deck with at least 10 inches of snow on the ground, photographing birds, including this sharp looking Rusty Blackbird.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rusty Blackbird foraging in deep snow, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rusty-blackbird-arkansas-snow-mia-mcpherson-0799.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rusty-blackbird-arkansas-snow-mia-mcpherson-0799.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rusty-blackbird-arkansas-snow-mia-mcpherson-0799.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/rusty-blackbird-arkansas-snow-mia-mcpherson-0799.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138670,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/11\/superb-rusty-blackbird-in-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":1},"title":"Superb Rusty Blackbird In Snow!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When my day starts with snow, an owl hooting in the pitch dark, and a smile on my face, I expect magic. Yesterday, that magic was a Rusty Blackbird in the snow.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Low light Rusty Blackbird in snowy conditions, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rusty-blackbird-probable-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-7912.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rusty-blackbird-probable-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-7912.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rusty-blackbird-probable-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-7912.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rusty-blackbird-probable-female-snow-mia-mcpherson-7912.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138760,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/14\/female-red-winged-blackbirds-in-fog-and-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":2},"title":"Female Red-winged Blackbirds In Fog And Snow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After the recent snowstorm in Arkansas, I photographed several female Red-winged Blackbirds in foggy, snowy conditions. I had a great time taking their photos.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Red-winged Blackbirds in fog and snow, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-winged-blackbird-females-snow-fog-mia-mcpherson-9324.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-winged-blackbird-females-snow-fog-mia-mcpherson-9324.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-winged-blackbird-females-snow-fog-mia-mcpherson-9324.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/red-winged-blackbird-females-snow-fog-mia-mcpherson-9324.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138694,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/12\/fox-sparrow-photos-nemesis-no-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":3},"title":"Fox Sparrow Photos – Nemesis No More!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I took lots of Fox Sparrow photos, and by doing so, I conquered a nemesis. I've had so much trouble getting Fox Sparrow images that I actually like.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Fox Sparrow on snow in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1800,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/01\/30\/bye-bye-blackbirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":4},"title":"Bye Bye Blackbirds? The USDA Is Killing Birds With DRC-1339","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 30, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently the USDA accepted responsibility for a smaller die off in South Dakota which brought to light a little known program called \"Bye bye Blackbird\" which uses DRC-1339, a poison that is also called an avicide.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Brewer's Blackbird displaying","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/brewers-blackbird-male-displaying-mia-mcpherson-3418.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":75758,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/05\/finding-two-uncommon-birds-in-one-week-rusty-blackbird-and-common-grackle\/","url_meta":{"origin":139714,"position":5},"title":"Finding Two Uncommon Birds In One Week – Rusty Blackbird And Common Grackle","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding two uncommon birds this week at the same olive tree really has me buzzed and to finally see a Rusty Blackbird has made me feel like jumping over the moon.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult male Rusty Blackbird in nonbreeding plumage, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/rusty-blackbird-mia-mcpherson-8554.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/rusty-blackbird-mia-mcpherson-8554.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/rusty-blackbird-mia-mcpherson-8554.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/rusty-blackbird-mia-mcpherson-8554.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\/139714","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=139714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}