{"id":26418,"date":"2015-07-07T05:38:18","date_gmt":"2015-07-07T11:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=26418"},"modified":"2025-05-09T14:14:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T19:14:15","slug":"a-tree-swallow-defending-its-nest-for-the-memory-of-a-great-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/07\/a-tree-swallow-defending-its-nest-for-the-memory-of-a-great-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Tree Swallow Defending Its Nest Photo In Memory Of A Great Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Tree Swallow defending its nest – Nikon D810, f8, 1\/3200, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m posting this Tree Swallow image that was taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in memory of a great friend, Rohn McKee. Rohn was a passionate bird photographer and he loved Red Rock Lakes NWR<\/span><\/a> as much as I do which is why I picked this image. He always had a smile, always<\/em>. He lived in Idaho and during the winter he would photograph at Farmington Bay WMA and Antelope Island here in Utah and I’d run into him all the time.<\/p>\n

\"RohnRohn McKee<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohn passed away three years ago today while he was photographing birds and wildlife in Idaho so he died doing what he loved. He is not forgotten.<\/p>\n

Some times good people leave far too soon.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I’m posting this Tree Swallow image that was taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in memory of a great friend, Rohn McKee. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":143956,"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":[1513,27,223,12,608,2171],"tags":[4004,822,4052,4122,9665,9666,4062,2279,9664,165,4807,3470,4377,1523,5434],"class_list":["post-26418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-tree-swallows","tag-adult","tag-defensive","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-great-friend","tag-in-memory","tag-male","tag-nest-box","tag-rohn-mckee","tag-spring","tag-swallow","tag-swallows","tag-tachycineta-bicolor","tag-tree-swallow","tag-valley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-flight-mia-mcpherson-0693.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-6S6","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7931,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/03\/24\/male-tree-swallow-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":26418,"position":0},"title":"Male Tree Swallow In Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This male Tree Swallow in flight image was taken two years ago at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana and for some reason I had not processed it until now.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Tree Swallow in flight, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-male-mia-mcpherson-5662.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-male-mia-mcpherson-5662.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-male-mia-mcpherson-5662.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-male-mia-mcpherson-5662.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21060,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/25\/the-return-of-the-tree-swallows\/","url_meta":{"origin":26418,"position":1},"title":"Return of the Tree Swallows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Not only are Tree Swallows colorful and beautiful they are bug-zapping machines and keep the number of flying insects down.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Stand of Tree Swallows at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallows-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6859.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallows-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6859.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallows-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6859.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallows-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6859.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":125851,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/03\/25\/tree-swallows-have-migrated-into-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":26418,"position":2},"title":"Tree Swallows Have Migrated Into Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the weekend, I read on Facebook that Tree Swallows have migrated back into Northern Utah for their breeding season. I am so excited about that news!","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tree Swallow peeking out of a natural nesting cavity in the High Uintas, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-aspen-high-uintas-mia-mcpherson-6727.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2017","format":false,"excerpt":"While stopped at a gate at Red Rock lakes NWR a Tree Swallow flew in and landed on a fence post so close that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to focus on it but I had to try.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up Tree Swallow perched on a fence post, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-red-rock-lakes-mia-mcpherson-9424.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tree-swallow-red-rock-lakes-mia-mcpherson-9424.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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