Photographer and Author

About Mia McPherson

I am Mia McPherson. I became seriously passionate about bird photography while living in Florida. After my move West in 2009 I have spent much of my time photographing birds in Utah, Idaho, Montana, and beyond. As a nature lover, bird and wildlife photographer, I have a passion for capturing the beauty and grace of birds and wildlife in their natural habitats.
Life is good.

Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco, Trial Lake and Mirror Lake Highway

By |August 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Dark-eyed Juncos, High Uintas, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was delighted to photograph a lovely, little Dark-eyed Junco juvenile perched in a conifer near Washington Lake which is not too far from Trial Lake and the Mirror Lake Highway.

Red-naped Sapsucker Diving Away From Nesting Cavity

By |August 16th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did find one jewel in the images, a photo of one of the adult Red-naped Sapsuckers flying away from the nesting cavity looking like a bullet.

Time to be on the Lookout for Juvenile Swainson’s Hawks

By |August 15th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw my first juvenile Swainson's Hawk of the year last week and although it didn't give me any opportunities to take better images of it I was happy to see it perched on a power pole.

Great Blue Herons and the Great Salt Lake

By |August 14th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It does seem odd though to see Great Blue Herons hanging around the Great Salt Lake after the chicks have fledged like this immature heron I photographed yesterday near the causeway.

Sleeping Juvenile Sanderling On The Beach At Fort De Soto

By |August 12th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Sanderlings|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I look at this photo of the juvenile Sanderling I see a bird that was so relaxed that it fell asleep while I photographed it because it was comfortable with my presence and I felt honored that it was.

Shorebirds Are On The Move – Fall Migration

By |August 10th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Shorebirds begin their fall migration early and for those of us who live in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem that means looking for them in the marshes around the lake and on the lake itself.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Giving Me the Eye

By |August 9th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk may have looked like it was giving me the eye when I photographed it but it was actually looking for one of its parents to bring it some food.

Canada Geese and How Their Calls Signal a Change of Seasons For Me

By |August 8th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are lots of Canada Geese near where I live in part because of the grassy golf course that is not too far away and because of the Jordan River and several small ponds that are just down the hill.

Two-headed Juvenile Western Kingbird? A Mere Optical Illusion

By |August 4th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This image kind of looks like I photographed a two-headed juvenile Western Kingbird but it is really an optical illusion.

White-faced Ibis at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |August 2nd, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was calling me yesterday morning and I answered that call and photographed several White-faced Ibis from the auto tour route.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Rousing While Lifting Off

By |July 31st, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On the way home I did spot a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a power pole near Blue Creek Spring and I put my lens on it because I was hoping it would take flight after it finished preening itself on the pole.

Gray & Windy Day Great Blue Heron Portrait

By |July 30th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Great Blue Heron wandered past me one December morning at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach on a gray, windy day and because it was close I simply had to take a photo of the large wading bird.

Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?

By |July 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.

Black-billed Magpie Juvenile Perched On A Sign on Antelope Island

By |July 28th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

There was a tribe of juvenile Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park yesterday down near White Rock Bay that were wandering around in the area near the Buffalo Point trailhead

Up close with a Tree Swallow at Red Rock Lakes NWR

By |July 27th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Tree Swallows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.

Rehabilitated Burrowing Owl Flying Free

By |July 24th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Burrowing Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I watched and photographed as April Olson who is a volunteer at Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah release a rehabbed Burrowing Owl and it was very exciting for me because I've never been to a release before

One Serious Looking Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile and a Survivor Too

By |July 23rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was pleased and relieved to see the surviving Red-tailed Hawk juvenile perched on a corral close to the edge of the road and looking well fed and healthy.

Water Dance of Leucistic Eared Grebes on the Great Salt Lake

By |July 22nd, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Eared Grebes, Leucistic, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I will probably never see and photograph so many leucistic Eared Grebes again in my life time as I did yesterday on the Great Salt Lake.

Mule Deer Doe with a Western Spotted Orbweaver & Webs on Her Face

By |July 20th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Mule Deer, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I can't resist photographing birds or wildlife up close so I swung my lens around and focused on the face of the Mule Deer and laughed out loud because she was covered in spiderwebs.

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