{"id":14489,"date":"2014-03-03T05:55:13","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T11:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14489"},"modified":"2025-12-05T08:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:22:12","slug":"as-spring-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/03\/as-spring-approaches\/","title":{"rendered":"As Spring Approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter appears to be retreating as spring approaches, the skies are clearing, the grass is getting green and the birds are beginning to think about more than surviving, they have begun to think about the upcoming nesting season.<\/p>\n

\"Black-billedBlack-billed Magpie in flight in Davis County – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

Black-billed Magpies have started the long process of building or rebuilding their nests. It is a process that can take anywhere from 40 to 50 days to complete so at times they start before the snow stops flying.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Coot at Willow Pond\u00a0– Nikon D300, f9, handheld, \u00a01\/400, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

American Coots become more and more territorial and will fight with each other over what seems to me; a mere human, the slightest infraction over food or some boundary that I can’t see or understand.<\/p>\n

American Coots can look quite goofy with their huge, lobed feet yet they can also look pretty mean too with their blood red eyes and pointed ivory bills. This one had its eye on me as I sat on the shoreline of Willow Pond photographing it last week.<\/p>\n

\"ChukarChukar calling on Antelope Island State Park\u00a0– Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The Chukars on Antelope Island have become more visible and audible too. Over the winter I didn’t see them often and heard them less but with the approach of spring they have begun to stand on top of the rocks to call to attract their mates.<\/p>\n

There are reports each day of migrating birds appearing in Utah, some of these birds will stay here all summer long and some will head further north to breed. As spring approaches it is a great time to be a bird photographer in Utah!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my bird photos in their galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Spring Approaches it is a Great Time to be a Bird Photographer in Utah!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":151899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,511,27,245,442,1022,709,26],"tags":[4004,4146,4010,1813,445,2772,2773,4052,4122,4121,6005,4842,780,3976,4167,5245],"class_list":["post-14489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-coots","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-black-billed-magpies","category-chukars","category-davis-county-utah","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-alectoris-chukar","tag-american-coot","tag-black-billed-magpie","tag-chukar","tag-coot","tag-coots","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-fulica-americana","tag-magpie","tag-magpies","tag-nest-building","tag-nesting","tag-pica-hudsonia","tag-territorial"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-2486.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3LH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":121645,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/20\/black-billed-magpie-with-nesting-materials\/","url_meta":{"origin":14489,"position":0},"title":"Black-billed Magpie With Nesting Materials","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It was my first full spring in Utah, nearly 14 years ago, when my keen eyes were used to find my first Black-billed Magpie nest on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-billed Magpie in flight with nesting material for its nest, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-material-mia-mcpherson-7510.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7761,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/05\/nesting-time-for-black-billed-magpies\/","url_meta":{"origin":14489,"position":1},"title":"Nesting time for Black-billed Magpies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"There was a sharp, cold wind blowing from the north yesterday and before I was finished photographing these Black-billed Magpies my hands had gone numb.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-billed Magpie lifting off from a bush with a twig, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-mia-mcpherson-9082.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/black-billed-magpie-nesting-mia-mcpherson-9082.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-billed Magpie landing with nesting material. 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Time!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the third consecutive year that I have photographed Black-billed Magpies working on their nest in this same location on Antelope Island.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-billed Magpie leaving the nest on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-new-5975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/black-billed-magpie-flight-mia-mcpherson-new-5975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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