{"id":166101,"date":"2025-12-25T04:40:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T10:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=166101"},"modified":"2025-12-25T04:42:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T10:42:28","slug":"happy-holidays-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/12\/25\/happy-holidays-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Holidays 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-166097 size-full\" title=\"Happy Holidays - Pink sunrise over Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153.jpg\" alt=\"Happy Holidays - Pink sunrise over Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Happy Holidays &#8211; Pink sunrise over Lower Scarborough Slough \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/250, ISO 2000, +0.7 EV, Canon RF 100-500mm at 100mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not sure where 2025 went, but I know it seemed to be the holiday season a bit too fast. 2026 will appear in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, while wandering at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fws.gov\/refuge\/sequoyah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge<\/span><\/a>, I was treated to a beautiful pink sunrise over Lower Scarborough Slough. The pink color of the sky and what was reflected on the water was due in part to the Belt of Venus.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m heading to the refuge to spend Christmas morning there today, and maybe I&#8217;ll be treated to another spectacular sunrise like this one.<\/p>\n<p>I love spending Christmas morning out in nature with the birds and wildlife. It&#8217;s quiet, peaceful, and rejuvenating.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-166092 size-full\" title=\"White-throated Sparrow on a snowy day, Sebastian County, Arkansas\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382.jpg\" alt=\"White-throated Sparrow on a snowy day, Sebastian County, Arkansas\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/white-throated-sparrow-snowy-mia-mcpherson-6382.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">White-throated Sparrow on a snowy day \u2013 Canon R7, handheld, f7.1, 1\/400, ISO 1000, +2.0 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This Christmas will be unlike any I have had in more than 16 years. By that, I mean it is going to be warm. Nearly 80\u00b0F, which may break records here.<\/p>\n<p>The last time I experienced temps that warm near Christmas was when I lived in Florida, and I don&#8217;t think even then it got that warm!<\/p>\n<p>So there will be no snowy bird photos taken today unless I&#8217;m able to photograph the Snow Geese at the refuge.<\/p>\n<p>I did want to share at least one snowy bird photo. This White-throated Sparrow was photographed last winter during a 10+ inch snowfall.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t know that we&#8217;ll get any snow this winter, but I kind of hope we do. I love snowy bird photos.<\/p>\n<p>Merry Christmas everyone!<\/p>\n<p>Life<em> is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my photos of Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma plus fact and information about the refuge. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/white-throated-sparrow-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see my White-throated Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;m not sure where 2025 went, but I know it seemed to be the holiday season a bit too fast. 2026 will appear in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":166097,"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":[13950,27,13973,13951,13974,12532],"tags":[4004,13965,970,17044,7890,4620,13981,4175,3984,13931,156,14912,14021,5979,958,13964,14020,4018,13976,4050,4328,855,4195,15824,4190,4076,3996,12534,373,13966,12533],"class_list":["post-166101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arkansas","category-avian","category-oklahoma","category-sebastian-county","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","category-white-throated-sparrows","tag-adult","tag-arkansas","tag-autumn","tag-beaver-dam","tag-belt-of-venus","tag-fall","tag-feeder","tag-fog","tag-foggy","tag-garden","tag-low-light-2","tag-lower-scarborough-slough","tag-oklahoma","tag-pink","tag-reflections","tag-sebastian-county","tag-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-sky","tag-slough","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-suburban","tag-sunrise","tag-trees","tag-water","tag-white-throated-sparrow","tag-winter","tag-yard","tag-zonotrichia-albicollis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-pink-mia-mcpherson-3153.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Hd3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":153703,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/08\/31\/sunrise-at-lower-scarborough-slough-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":166101,"position":0},"title":"Sunrise at Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I am sharing a simple image of sunrise at the Lower Scarborough Slough. There are several sloughs at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Oklahoma&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunrise at Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-6813.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-6813.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-6813.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/sequoyah-nwr-lower-scarborough-slough-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-6813.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":149774,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/07\/04\/summer-morning-views-from-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":166101,"position":1},"title":"Summer Morning Views From Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sharing two morning views of Sequoyah NWR taken early yesterday, then I'll share a few thoughts about how today affects me.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Oklahoma&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rainbow over Lower Scarborough Slough at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sequoyah-summer-morning-mia-mcpherson-crop-063223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sequoyah-summer-morning-mia-mcpherson-crop-063223.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sequoyah-summer-morning-mia-mcpherson-crop-063223.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/sequoyah-summer-morning-mia-mcpherson-crop-063223.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":147589,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/29\/eastern-kingbird-at-lower-scarborough-slough\/","url_meta":{"origin":166101,"position":2},"title":"Eastern Kingbird At Lower Scarborough Slough","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The last time I was at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma in May, I photographed this handsome Eastern Kingbird at Lower Scarborough Slough.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Eastern Kingbird at Lower Scarborough Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/eastern-kingbird-lower-scarborough-slough-mia-mcpherson-7493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/eastern-kingbird-lower-scarborough-slough-mia-mcpherson-7493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/eastern-kingbird-lower-scarborough-slough-mia-mcpherson-7493.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/eastern-kingbird-lower-scarborough-slough-mia-mcpherson-7493.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":142010,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/26\/immature-white-throated-sparrow-at-miners-cove\/","url_meta":{"origin":166101,"position":3},"title":"Immature White-throated Sparrow At Miner&#8217;s Cove","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For the first time ever, two days ago, I took a photo at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma of an immature White-throated Sparrow that I actually liked.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature White-throated Sparrow in a shrub at Miner's Cove, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/white-throated-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-0591.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":166101,"position":4},"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":[]},{"id":141446,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/11\/serenity-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":166101,"position":5},"title":"Serenity at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge yesterday, I found serenity in the beautifully peaceful views the refuge offers in late winter.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;American Coots&quot;","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Serenity at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sequoyah-nwr-serenity-mia-mcpherson-7317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sequoyah-nwr-serenity-mia-mcpherson-7317.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sequoyah-nwr-serenity-mia-mcpherson-7317.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/sequoyah-nwr-serenity-mia-mcpherson-7317.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\/166101","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=166101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}