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.

Bank Swallow Over the Red Rock River

By |July 18th, 2017|Categories: Bank Swallows, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I looked around four days ago I saw this Bank Swallow resting on a fence that hangs over the Red Rock River and could not resist photographing it with the blue water below and behind it.

American Crow Fledglings Riding The Rails

By |July 16th, 2017|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Clark County, Idaho|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were several fledglings on the rails but I liked how these two young American Crows were relatively close together and both looking the same direction, up the rails and to the north

Swainson’s Hawk with Damage to the Feathers of the Underwing Coverts

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

I simply don't know what caused this kind of feather damage and I hope that someone can give me a better idea of what was going on with this Swainson's Hawk.

Adult Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding its Chick at the Nesting Cavity

By |July 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Although photographing the Red-naped Sapsuckers at the nesting cavity has been frustrating at times it has also been very rewarding to observe all the action of the sapsucker family.

Mountain Bluebird On a Rustic Pine Fence – Life is Good

By |July 13th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today's post is just a simple bird. A sky blue Mountain Bluebird perched on a rustic pine fence railing taken on a bright beautiful morning in the Centennial Valley of Montana.

Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker Feeding Young

By |July 12th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Targhee National Forest|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Jackpot and frustrations... I'll explain the jackpot first and get to the frustrations later about the Targhee National Forest Red-naped Sapsucker feeding its young.

Five Different Centennial Valley Red-tailed Hawks

By |July 11th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Red-tailed Hawks were my most photographed species yesterday morning in the Centennial Valley of southwestern Montana and I had fun with them.

Dabbling Duck Shuffle – Plus White Geese Become Gray Geese

By |July 8th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Cinnamon Teals, Gadwalls, Northern Shovelers, Snow Geese|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few more changes in the Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOS Check-list have to do with dabbling ducks and "white geese".

Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uinta Mountains

By |July 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This male Red-naped Sapsucker was photographed last year in the high Uintas, a mountain range that is east of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains I can see from where I live.

Eight-spotted Skimmer & Variegated Meadowhawk

By |July 6th, 2017|Categories: Box Elder County, Dragonflies, Eight-spotted Skimmers, Utah, Variegated Meadowhawk|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoyed photographing the Eight-spotted Skimmer and Variegated Meadowhawk while also taking photos of Red-tailed Hawk juvenile.

Photographing A Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk – Remembering To Breathe And Relax

By |July 5th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I needed time out with the birds yesterday and this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk helped me to relax, breathe and remember that things have a way of working out.

No Willet Split Plus Other Nerdy Bird News

By |July 2nd, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Northern Harriers, Northern Shrikes, Pinellas County, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Just because Willets weren't split this year doesn't mean they won't be split in the future, who knows what changes will be made a year from now.

Red-tailed Hawk Fledglings And Some Sad News

By |July 1st, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spotted two of the other Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I have been following since early spring and was delighted that they have now fledged and have both learned to fly.

Juvenile Eastern and Western Kingbirds – Their Ranges Overlap Here in Utah

By |June 30th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Eastern Kingbirds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Western Kingbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

The ranges for these two species of kingbirds overlap here in northern Utah but I see more of the Western Kingbirds than I do the Eastern Kingbirds.

Prickly Poppies, Bees and a Grasshopper

By |June 29th, 2017|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Each Prickly Poppy flower is about 3 to 5 inches across with yellow centers of clustered stamens and delicate petals that look like white crepe paper.

Mountain Bluebirds with Juveniles in Summit County

By |June 28th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Summit County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The young Mountain Bluebird turned and snatched the cricket from the male quickly before any of its siblings could reach the branches.

Perched Gray Flycatcher Eating A Damselfly

By |June 27th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Gray Flycatchers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I watched the Gray Flycatcher it flew towards me, snatched a damselfly from mid air then landed on a dead branch not too far away and proceeded to eat it while I photographed the bird.

Buck Pronghorn Close Up On Antelope Island – Worth the Gnat Bites?

By |June 22nd, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Pronghorn, Utah, Wildlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

My best photos of the day were of a buck Pronghorn that was very close to the dirt road I was on, he was so close I had trouble keeping all of his head in the frame.

Approaching Chicks Too Close – When Something Should be Said or Done

By |June 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Glacier County, Great Horned Owls, Montana, Nesting Birds, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I know that what this person did was not right and the 8 moderators of that group should have said something but in 15 days they haven't said a word about them being too close to the owl chick.

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