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.

Creepy Crawly Spiders for Halloween

By |October 31st, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Florida, Mabel Orchard Orbweaver, Sawgrass Lake Park, Utah, Western Spotted Orbweaver, Yellow Garden Spiders|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

First, I want to admit something. I don't think spiders are creepy or crawly. They do crawl at times but I think they are beautiful creatures.

Red-tailed Hawk perched above Elk Lake, Montana

By |October 29th, 2013|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This past September I spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk perched high on a rocky canyon wall as it looked out over the cold waters of Elk Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana.

Adult And Juvenile American Oystercatchers Feeding Side By Side

By |October 27th, 2013|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2008 I spent several months during the summer watching an American Oystercatcher family from the time the chicks were tiny until one of the chicks became independent.

Piping Plover on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico – 900th Post

By |October 26th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Piping Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Shorebirds; like this tiny Piping Plover I photographed on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, are the primary reason I became addicted to bird photography.

Wishful Thinking And A Rough-legged Hawk

By |October 25th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two years ago I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk with a vole in its talons as it flew along the causeway to Antelope Island State Park with the Great Salt Lake in the background.

Moon set over the Stansbury Mountains of the West Desert

By |October 22nd, 2013|Categories: Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, western skies|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday while in the West Desert in Tooele County the cirrus clouds appealed to me that fanned out over the Stansbury Mountains.

Western Grebe With A Chick Riding Piggyback

By |October 20th, 2013|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, Western Grebes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Cute Alert! Whenever I see Western Grebe chicks riding piggyback on their parents I can't help thinking that there is a definite cute factor going on right in front of me.

American White Pelican Lifting Off

By |October 19th, 2013|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This American White Pelican was taking off from a pond near where I live in Salt Lake County and I happened to click the shutter when its wings were extended upwards and when its feet had just slapped the water

Young Great Horned Owl is a Tiger of the Sky in the making

By |October 17th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Glacier County, Great Horned Owls, Montana|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I love the descriptive name "Tiger of the Sky" when referring to Great Horned Owls, they are fierce, fearless and ferocious and the young owl in the image above is a 'Tiger in the Sky" in the making.

Dark Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk On The Wing

By |October 16th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Quite often I don't have much time at all to get ready to take images because you need to get close to the subject, find a good angle of light and make sure your camera settings will produce the best image for the conditions.

Juvenile Burrowing Owl In Utah

By |October 11th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Burrowing Owls are iconic birds of Antelope Island State Park, I can't tell you how many times people write to me and ask "Where can I see Burrowing Owls on Antelope Island State Park?".

Open our National Parks, Wildlife Refuges and Monuments Now

By |October 10th, 2013|Categories: Bald Eagles, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday on the local news I saw that Governor Herbert offered to fund the reopening of Utah's five National Parks which are Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef.

American Barn Owl Butt Shots

By |October 9th, 2013|Categories: American Barn Owls, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I know, I don't have eye contact from my subject which is one of the unspoken rules in bird and wildlife photography but I don't mind bending those rules when it comes to images that I find interesting or appealing.

The Eagle Is Landing

By |October 8th, 2013|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It has been quite some time since I posted a Bald Eagle here so today I present this adult in a landing pose that I photographed in February of 2011 at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.

It Snowed In The Salt Lake Valley Yesterday…

By |October 5th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Davis County, Ring-necked Pheasants, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

And it won't be long before I am photographing wildlife in drifts of snow and birds on perches covered in white.

Greater Yellowlegs and Copyright Watermarks

By |October 4th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Copyright Infringement, Copyright Issues, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Greater Yellowlegs, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Which copyright watermark should I use? The small one that doesn't detract from the Greater Yellowlegs or the larger one that would make it harder for image thieves to use?

Go to Top