{"id":54441,"date":"2018-10-05T06:05:38","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T12:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=54441"},"modified":"2025-11-01T15:09:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T20:09:47","slug":"american-pipits-and-fall-migration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/10\/05\/american-pipits-and-fall-migration\/","title":{"rendered":"American Pipits and Fall Migration"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AnAn American Pipit in nonbreeding plumage – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I don’t locate birds to photograph just using my eyesight, I also locate them by using my ears and listening for calls and songs. One of the calls I have only heard a few times this fall are those of American Pipits in flight but I do expect to hear more of them soon.<\/p>\n

I wanted to mention that I don’t know if the pipit above is an adult or an immature bird, they all look alike at this time of the year.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Pipit perched in a high rock – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

By this time last fall I had already been photographing these birds for a period of more than two weeks but we had colder weather sooner last year than we have had this year at this time. This morning it is raining in the valley and I can see on satellite images that snow is falling in the Wasatch Mountains, can the large flocks of American Pipits be far behind?\u00a0 The remnants of Hurricane Rosa brought us much needed rain and the cold front that is moving through here right now may be just the push that the pipits need to arrive in large numbers here in the valley.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Pipit taking a step on the rocks – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these American Pipits were photographed exactly one year ago today at Farmington Bay WMA. By this date last year I was seeing and hearing pipits at Farmington Bay WMA, Bear River MBR, along other shorelines of the Great Salt Lake and next to the causeway to Antelope Island State Park by the hundreds. I could also hear them while driving on the interstate and back roads when I had my windows down.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Pipit about to fluff its feathers – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

American Pipits aren’t flashy birds, in fact some people might think they are rather plain or dull colored. I am always happy to have them in my viewfinder and to hear their flight calls in the breeze. Maybe the next time I go out into the field I will see, hear and photograph them.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

American Pipits aren’t flashy birds, in fact some people might think they are rather plain or dull colored. I am always happy to have them in my viewfinder and to hear their flight calls in the breeze.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":162630,"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":[4654,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[4004,2400,4655,5290,5504,6829,4246,4104,5475,4895,4470,6830],"class_list":["post-54441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-pipits","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-pipit","tag-anthus-rubescens","tag-fall-migration","tag-fluff","tag-high-rock","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-perched","tag-pipit","tag-pipits","tag-rocks","tag-step"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-rocks-mia-mcpherson-2555.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ea5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42614,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/10\/14\/migrating-american-pipits-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":0},"title":"Migrating American Pipits in Utah – Pipits Everywhere!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"American Pipits are migrating through Utah in large numbers right now and yesterday morning at Farmington Bay they seemed to be everywhere!","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling American Pipit, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-calling-mia-mcpherson-7694.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-calling-mia-mcpherson-7694.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-calling-mia-mcpherson-7694.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-calling-mia-mcpherson-7694.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55006,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/15\/my-first-plus-my-most-recent-american-pipit-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":1},"title":"My First Plus My Most Recent American Pipit Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I enjoy these tail-bobbing American Pipits every bit as much today as I did the morning I first saw them near Goose Egg Island at Farmington Bay but since I moved to Utah I can see and photograph them more often.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Pipit in nonbreeding plumage at Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-grasses-and-a-boulder-mia-mcpherson-8744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-grasses-and-a-boulder-mia-mcpherson-8744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-grasses-and-a-boulder-mia-mcpherson-8744.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-grasses-and-a-boulder-mia-mcpherson-8744.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":108427,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/12\/02\/my-fondness-for-american-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":2},"title":"My Fondness For American Pipits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been almost exactly one year since I have taken high quality images of American Pipits. I have a fondness for these birds and I have missed them.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Pipits on the rocks, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-pipit-on-the-rocks-mia-mcpherson-7475.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-pipit-on-the-rocks-mia-mcpherson-7475.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-pipit-on-the-rocks-mia-mcpherson-7475.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/american-pipit-on-the-rocks-mia-mcpherson-7475.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28640,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/09\/27\/american-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":3},"title":"American Pipits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"American Pipits were known for a long time as Water Pipits because they feed at the edge of tundra puddles and wet alpine meadows.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Pipit perched on some rocks at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-mia-mcpherson-9467.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-mia-mcpherson-9467.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-mia-mcpherson-9467.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-mia-mcpherson-9467.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74796,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/20\/photographing-autumn-american-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":4},"title":"Photographing Autumn American Pipits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year by this date I had taken hundreds of photos of American Pipits. So far this autumn I have taken Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Pipit in golden morning light, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0536.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0536.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0536.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/american-pipit-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0536.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41952,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/12\/american-pipits-at-farmington-bay\/","url_meta":{"origin":54441,"position":5},"title":"American Pipits at Farmington Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"American Pipits will soon be migrating through the Salt Lake Valley and I will hear their flight calls along the causeway to Antelope Island and the fields at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Pipit at sunrise, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-4115.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-4115.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-4115.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-pipit-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-4115.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\/54441","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=54441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}