{"id":97921,"date":"2021-12-05T04:54:33","date_gmt":"2021-12-05T11:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=97921"},"modified":"2021-12-05T04:54:33","modified_gmt":"2021-12-05T11:54:33","slug":"american-pipits-in-my-viewfinder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/12\/05\/american-pipits-in-my-viewfinder\/","title":{"rendered":"American Pipits In My Viewfinder"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FallFall American Pipit on a rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As I photographed an American Kestrel that I found two days ago I could hear a flock of American Pipits nearby and I located them across the road from the kestrel hanging out on some rocks. I’ve been seeing and hearing<\/span><\/a> American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Pipit on a cool December morning \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I love the subtle beauty of American Pipits, how feisty they are with other pipits, and listening to their calls.<\/p>\n

I didn’t stop to count the pipits that I found the other day because I was so focused on photographing them but it wasn’t a large flock and there may have only been around a dozen of them flitting about.<\/p>\n

\"AlertAlert adult American Pipit on a rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years that I have photographed American Pipits it seems that more often than not I find them on piles of rocks or individual rocks in the landscape.<\/p>\n

\"RelaxedRelaxed American Pipit on a rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

American Pipits do breed in a few locations in Utah at high elevations. I’d love to find and photograph this species during the breeding season but so far I haven’t had that opportunity.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Pipit checking out some rocks \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

My best opportunities for observing and photographing American Pipits always seem to happen during the fall and winter. I see and hear them during the spring but they seem more skittish then than they appear to be in the fall and winter.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult American Pipit on top of a light colored rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0I was delighted that the American Pipits I found two days ago perched on different colored rocks and I was pleased with my photos of them.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult American Pipit on top of a dark colored rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

If I am not fortunate enough to get this close to American Pipits again this fall and winter I can honestly say I am grateful that I had a few moments with them the other day. I’m glad I heard them from across the road and figured out where they were.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I’ve been seeing and hearing American Pipits since the end of September but this was the first time this fall I was able to get close to them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97901,"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":[4654,124,27,1148,26],"tags":[4004,4540,2400,4655,970,4007,4008,4620,5672,4378,12612,5475,4895,6973,5119,4921,4470,30],"class_list":["post-97921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-pipits","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-alert","tag-american-pipit","tag-anthus-rubescens","tag-autumn","tag-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","tag-box-elder-county","tag-fall","tag-flats","tag-morning","tag-old-lake-bed","tag-pipit","tag-pipits","tag-playa","tag-relaxed","tag-rock","tag-rocks","tag-utah-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/american-pipit-bear-river-mbr-mia-mcpherson-7792.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ptn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":108427,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/12\/02\/my-fondness-for-american-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":97921,"position":0},"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":117509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/26\/autumn-american-pipit-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":97921,"position":1},"title":"Autumn American Pipit Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Monday I took my first autumn American Pipit photos of 2023 while I was on the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I was so happy.","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 roadside grasses, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-pipit-in-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5488.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-pipit-in-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5488.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-pipit-in-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5488.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/american-pipit-in-autumn-mia-mcpherson-5488.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28640,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/09\/27\/american-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":97921,"position":2},"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":117796,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/04\/american-pipit-in-frosted-grasses\/","url_meta":{"origin":97921,"position":3},"title":"American Pipit In Frosted Grasses","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Monday, when I photographed this American Pipit at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in frosted grasses, I had several thoughts whirling around in my mind.","rel":"","context":"In "American Pipits"","block_context":{"text":"American Pipits","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/mimids\/american-pipits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult American Pipit in frosted grasses, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/american-pipit-frost-diamonds-mia-mcpherson-6715.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/american-pipit-frost-diamonds-mia-mcpherson-6715.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/american-pipit-frost-diamonds-mia-mcpherson-6715.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/american-pipit-frost-diamonds-mia-mcpherson-6715.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":97921,"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":96866,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/11\/02\/american-pipits-aka-buff-bellied-pipits\/","url_meta":{"origin":97921,"position":5},"title":"American Pipits – AKA Buff-bellied Pipits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been hearing American Pipits since around the end of September but so far this year I haven't been able to photograph even one of these birds.","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 on a large wooden post, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-pipit-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-1678.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-pipit-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-1678.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-pipit-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-1678.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/american-pipit-wooden-post-mia-mcpherson-1678.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\/97921","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=97921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}