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.

Female Red-naped Sapsucker With a Bill Full of Ants

By |June 18th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Red-naped Sapsuckers, Summit County, Uinta National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Maybe next year I'll have better opportunities with these Red-naped Sapsuckers and maybe they will chose to place their new nesting cavity in a location that is easier to photograph.

Short-eared Owl – Comparing Early to Mid Morning Light On My Subject

By |June 17th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While this final image shows a beautiful Short-eared Owl, nice sharpness and details when I compare it to the first photo it just isn't as visually appealing to me as the first photo which was taken in softer light.

Red-tailed Hawk Chicks – The Wind Blew Their Nest Away

By |June 15th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Nesting Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I saw the Red-tailed Hawk chicks near where the nest had been though and I spent less than two minutes with them and took a few images before leaving them alone.

Female Red-winged Blackbirds – Frequency in Misidentification

By |June 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-winged Blackbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Female Red-winged Blackbirds seem to be the birds that are most often misidentified probably because they look so different from the males. Red-winged Blackbirds are sexually dimorphic .

Cedar Waxwings in a Canyon & Memories of My Grandmother From Long Ago

By |June 13th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, Morgan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was looking through my archives from last year and came across some images I had taken last June in Morgan County, Utah that I hadn't processed yet and I came across these Cedar Waxwing photos.

Male Cassin’s Finches Foraging in Beaverhead County, Montana

By |June 11th, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Cassin's Finches, Centennial Valley, Montana|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago today I was in Beaverhead County, Montana photographing Cassin's Finches foraging on the seeds of dandelions on a morning that had sunshine and plenty of fog.

Male Yellow Warbler Perched on a Flowering Shrub

By |June 8th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Someday I will get the images I desire of these dainty Yellow Warblers. Bird photography is challenging and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Photographing Green-tailed Towhees Can Be Frustrating – All Birds Can Be

By |June 7th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was ready when this Green-tailed Towhee perched on a lichen topped fence post yesterday long enough for me to fire off 30 frames before he flew down to the ground.

Uinta Ground Squirrel Near East Canyon Creek In The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 6th, 2017|Categories: Morgan County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

There were three Uinta Ground Squirrels in the riparian zone along East Canyon Creek and I felt that I had to take photos of them in the bright, clear light, they were so cute.

Wasatch Mountain Range Yellow Warbler

By |June 5th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week while I was photographing a handsome Green-tailed Towhee in the Wasatch Mountains a bright Yellow Warbler caught my eyes when it landed on a flowering shrub.

Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert

By |June 3rd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was able to photograph the largest buteo in North America, a gorgeous Ferruginous Hawk that was on top of a hill with the Stansbury Mountains of the West Desert in the background.

Gray Catbird singing in a Stand of Willows in the Wasatch Mountains

By |June 2nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Gray Catbirds are related to mockingbirds and thrashers and are in the family Mimidae and all of them are noted for their vocalizations and their ability to mimic a wide variety of bird songs and calls and human made sounds.

Green-tailed Towhee Singing in the Wasatch Mountains

By |June 1st, 2017|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One good bird can make the the day when photographing birds in the field, yesterday that bird was a male Green-tailed Towhee I spotted perched on a shrub in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains.

Forster’s Tern Resting at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |May 31st, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Forster's Terns, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A little more than a week ago I spotted this Forster's Tern resting on a log in the water at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge from the auto tour loop and I felt I had to hop out and take a few images from across the hood of my Jeep

Male Yellow-headed Blackbird Portraits

By |May 29th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, Yellow-headed Blackbirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was surprised yesterday to be able to take portraits of male Yellow-headed Blackbirds because they normally fly away from me instead of flying towards me.

Photographing Lark Sparrows on Antelope Island

By |May 25th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Lark Sparrows, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Lark Sparrows are only in Utah during their breeding season so whenever I have the opportunity to photograph them and their bold facial patterns I am thoroughly delighted.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron Close Up Experience

By |May 24th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to see what birds I could find to photograph and I am glad I did because I had a wonderful juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron close up experience.

Low light Tree Swallow in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho

By |May 20th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Modoc Creek, Targhee National Forest, Tree Swallows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last year I was able to spend time photographing this male Tree Swallow in low light in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho and even though the light wasn't the best I still liked the resulting images.

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