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.

Common Merganser hunting close up in Salt Lake County, Utah

By |December 20th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I was surprised by being able to photograph a Common Merganser hunting close to the shoreline of a nearby pond in Salt Lake County.

Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid – Its Parentage Had Bewildered Me

By |December 18th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Canada Geese, Hybrid Geese, Salt Lake County, Snow Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Canada Goose hybrid could be a Canada x Snow Goose or a Canada x Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid, those two species make the most sense to me, but I can't be certain of its parentage.

Meet Galileo – The Short-eared Owl Who Soon Graduates to Education Bird

By |December 17th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Nancy Blech Matro, outgoing Hawkwatch International Board Chair, contacted me yesterday to share news with me about Galileo the Short-eared Owl I had a small part in rescuing.

Male Common Goldeneye in Breeding Plumage on the Jordan River

By |December 16th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Jordan River Parkway Trail, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this male Common Goldeneye in breeding plumage on the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah in low light on a cold morning.

American Coot Being Chased For Its Food

By |December 14th, 2016|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The American Coot seemed to turn its head a few times to see if it was still being chased and when it saw that it was it it kept scooting across the surface of the pond and always kept its bill clamped down on its food.

Double-crested Cormorant With Its Catch – The Story Behind The Images

By |December 13th, 2016|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was fun photographing this Double-crested Cormorant with its catch yesterday afternoon close to home especially since I knew the weather was going to take a turn.

Redhead Drakes

By |December 12th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Redheads, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Redhead drake photographed at the refuge in his breeding plumage sure stood out well from the water that was reflecting the spring growth of rushes and phragmites.

Sunrise ~ Sunset

By |December 11th, 2016|Categories: Beaverhead County, Centennial Valley, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Montana, Pinellas County, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I feel worried for the future and I am filled with angst right now and I know I am not alone. However; I do know that even when times are difficult life is good. The sun rises after every sunset.

Common Goldeneyes Plus One Common Raven

By |December 8th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Common Ravens, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had fun photographing the Common Raven and the Common Goldeneyes yesterday and even though the cold temps made my fingers numb, these birds were the highlight of my day.

Immature Prairie Falcon At Sunrise Next To The Great Salt Lake

By |December 6th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Prairie Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The bird that started my day was an immature Prairie Falcon at sunrise next to the Great Salt Lake and as the sun started to rise the falcon seemed to glow.

Comparing Adult Ring-billed and California Gulls

By |December 5th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For most of the year Ring-billed and California Gulls are some of the most common gulls here in northern Utah and for some people it might be challenging to tell them apart.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks – Photographing Raptors Near Interstates

By |December 1st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are natural perches along the access roads right next to the interstate and if I am lucky I can find Red-tailed Hawks perched there on occasion too.

Courting Black Skimmers on North Beach, Fort De Soto

By |November 29th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Black Skimmers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On a hazy, windy day in May of 2008 I was able to sand crawl on my belly close enough to some Black Skimmers to watch and photograph them courting.

Mondays… Worse… Cyber Monday

By |November 28th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Humor, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Is it any wonder I feel like the juvenile White-crowned Sparrow in this photo that is hiding its head? My inbox is getting junked up and my delete key is smoking from deleting the Cyber Monday sales pitches.

It is Tricolored Heron Not Tri-colored Heron

By |November 27th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Tricolored Herons|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I must admit I get a little bonkers though when I see images of birds where the name posted for the species in the photo is incorrect, for instance, it is Tricolored Heron not Tri-colored Heron.

Red-breasted Mergansers in Utah

By |November 26th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-breasted Mergansers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Near the auto tour route though I saw what appeared to be 250 to 300 Red-breasted Mergansers on the Bear River. I think it was the largest raft of Red-breasted Mergansers I have ever seen.

Juvenile Roseate Spoonbill on Florida’s West Coast

By |November 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Roseate Spoonbills|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this juvenile Roseate Spoonbill in May of 2008 from inside a lagoon at Fort De Soto's north while the immature spoonbill and a few adults preened and rested on the shoreline.

Fun Photographing a Male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay

By |November 23rd, 2016|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had fun photographing a male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay as he caught prey and ate it on a post near a little creek.

Immature Pied-billed Grebe running across the water with prey

By |November 22nd, 2016|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last month I captured a series of images of an immature Pied-billed Grebe running across the water with prey in its bill at Farmington Bay WMA.

One Frigid Morning On A Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

By |November 21st, 2016|Categories: Birds, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was 21°F one frigid morning on a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek and before dawn broke the grouse began to display on the high country sagebrush steppe in Wayne County, Utah.

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