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.

Red-breasted Merganser On The Gulf Of Mexico

By |January 30th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Sometimes I find an image appealing because of the memories it wakes up and not so much from the technical or compositional aspects, this Red-breasted Merganser image is one that isn't perfect but it does awaken memories and stirs my senses.

Horned Lark And A Broken Heart

By |January 29th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Frustrations in bird photography, Horned Larks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I have dreamed about getting a shot like this since I first started photographing Horned Larks, I wanted a shot of a Horned Lark at the precise moment it began to lift off with the wings lifted.

Female Short-eared Owl On A Snowy Day

By |January 28th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today the sky was cloudy, the fog was thick and the snow was blowing in northern Utah. I couldn't see the tops of the mountains or across the Great Salt Lake but I did spot this Short-eared Owl perched on a snow-covered bush on the causeway my way to Antelope Island.

First winter male Common Merganser

By |January 27th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spotted a lone Common Merganser at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area nearly hidden in some phragmites and when we came around the corner the bird seemed to have disappeared but after a bit it came out from its hiding spot and gave us quite a show.

Four Intimate Gull Portraits

By |January 25th, 2014|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Birds, California Gulls, Florida, Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like gulls. I especially like being able to see them up close when the opportunities arise and will take advantage of my close proximity by taking portraits of these beautiful but often disliked birds.

White-crowned Sparrow perched on a frosty shrub

By |January 21st, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like the setting contained in this image with a frost covered branches of a shrub with reddish bark that the White-crowned Sparrow perched on close to the entrance to Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.

Short-eared Owls photographed in fog and evening light

By |January 20th, 2014|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Glacier County, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Short-eared Owls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Both images are appealing to me because I enjoy the foggy softness of the female Short-eared Owl image and the warm, golden tones of the male Short-eared Owl photo.

Snow Birds – Rough-legged Hawks

By |January 17th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

But for me the "Snow Birds" I have grown to love here in Utah are Rough-legged Hawks who only visit in the winter and spend the rest of their lives breeding in high subarctic and Arctic regions.

Ring-billed Gull – Light on Dark

By |January 16th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Ring-billed Gulls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

The day I photographed this Ring-billed Gull at Fort De Soto's north beach there were baitfish in the hundreds of thousands running just off shore and pelicans, egrets, terns and gulls were all in a feeding frenzy.

Red-shouldered Hawk In Flight

By |January 14th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Red-shouldered Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Red-shouldered Hawk photo was taken in Florida in November of 2008 just after the hawk lifted off from an old snag near a Great Blue Heron I had been photographing.

Resting Northern Harrier

By |January 10th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Farmington Bay Waterfowl Area used to be my "go to" place for photographing Northern Harriers but this winter they are hard to find.

Male American Kestrel Resting Near The Shore Of The Great Salt Lake

By |January 9th, 2014|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was going to do a post about a Bald Eagle this morning but at the last minute had a change of mind and decided to work up this male American Kestrel that I photographed resting near the shore of the Great Salt Lake.

Chukar On A Bright Winter Day

By |January 7th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Chukars, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The weather forecast for today isn't as bright as it was on the day last January when I photographed this Chukar walking across a field of fresh snow instead the forecast for today is rather dreary.

Eye Level With A Northern Harrier

By |January 6th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Even though I have been a bird photographer for some time now I still get a thrill when I am eye level with a bird of prey because it feels as if I am more strongly connected to the raptor when they fly in close at eye level.

Great Blue Heron’s Gift

By |January 5th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In January in Florida the Great Blue Herons are already going into breeding plumage and have begun courtship displays and have started building their nests.

Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile In Low Light Conditions

By |January 4th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In the winter I shoot a lot in fog, smog and low light conditions here in northern Utah but if you follow my blog you probably already know that and have heard me mention it a time or two (or four or a hundred).

Ring-necked Pheasants ~ A Splash Of Color In A Field Of White

By |January 2nd, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-necked Pheasants, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Male Ring-necked Pheasants add a vivid splash of color against a field of white at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, I photographed this male a few days ago as it foraged in the snow.

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