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.

Laughing Gull White Balance Mess up and Fix

By |October 19th, 2012|Categories: Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, White Balance adjustments|Tags: , , , , , , , |

All photographers mess up, some times it is the focus, sometimes it is not having enough shutter speed for active subjects and sometimes a dial gets bumped and when it is not noticed it can affect all the images taken after it has been changed.

One year ago today – Brewer’s Blackbird

By |October 18th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today it was slow on Antelope Island, not many birds were close enough to photograph but on the way home I spotted this female Brewer's Blackbird on some rocks near one of the bridges on the causeway to the island.

Escaped Falconry Birds – Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel

By |October 16th, 2012|Categories: American Kestrels, Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Peregrine Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I know that falconry birds and rehabbed raptors can be used as excellent tools in educating the public, I've been impressed with them myself. But there is a risk for falconry birds that escape and that still have jesses or anklets attached and that fact worries me.

I’ve Got The Blues – Great Blue Herons That Is!

By |October 15th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Great Blue Herons, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It seems I have always had a fondness for Great Blue Herons although I don't recall the first time I ever saw one. Great Blues are large wading birds that have a prehistoric look to them and even their calls; more like a croak, sound like something from the long distant past.

Sandwich Tern In Flight With Prey

By |October 12th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Sandwich Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This image Sandwich Tern was taken at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach several years ago, it was a breezy, very warm day and there were schools of baitfish running just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ring-billed Gull On The Wing

By |October 11th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I had a bit of fun photographing this Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area, I love the snowy whites these gulls exhibit in their plumage year round

You’ll Never Know Unless You Go

By |October 8th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Coyotes, Prairie Falcons, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah, Western Meadowlarks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Kind a of a crazy title but it is a mantra that I live by when it comes to my bird and nature photography. It simply means that unless I go out shooting I won't know what I am missing.

Eastern And Western Willets In Breeding Plumage

By |October 7th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've had the good fortune to photograph both the eastern and western Willets in breeding plumage, the eastern in Florida and the western in Utah and Montana.

Birds, Beasts and Bits About Me – My 500th Blog Post

By |October 4th, 2012|Categories: Bald Eagles, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Coyotes, Dunlins, Florida, Laughing Gulls, Little Blue Herons, Loggerhead Shrikes, Pronghorn, Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Sanderlings, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wow, this is my 500th blog post and it has been great fun to share my images and the stories behind them. I thought I'd share a few images and bits about my thoughts on photography.

California Gull – The Chase is On

By |October 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Brine Flies, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While my mother was visiting Utah she was able to see how California Gulls chase and feed on Brine Flies, it is fascinating feeding behavior. As my mom watched, I photographed.

Bison Bull With The Great Salt Lake In The Background

By |October 2nd, 2012|Categories: American Bison, Antelope Island State Park, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Bison bull feeding peacefully yesterday out on Antelope Island State Park with the Great Salt Lake in the background.

Dusky Grouse Male – Francis Peak

By |September 29th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Dusky Grouse, Francis Peak, Sky Line Drive, Bountiful Canyon, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Near the summit of Francis Peak, elevation 9,560 feet, I spotted this Dusky Grouse male on the edge of a gravel road with a steep drop off to the west and I was able to get a few photographs of it before we motioned to a pickup truck coming down from the summit to move forward.

Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow – Very Small in the Frame

By |September 28th, 2012|Categories: Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Small in the frame, Utah, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Normally I wouldn't take or present an image where the subject is as small in the frame as this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is but I couldn't resist because I like this image a lot.

Lazuli Buntings Near The San Rafael River

By |September 26th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Lazuli Buntings, San Rafael Swell area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have enjoyed photographing Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) near the San Rafael River at the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area. These images were taken in the spring when the males were high on perches singing to attract females.

American Oystercatchers in Florida

By |September 25th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, Egmont Key State Park, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't get to see or photograph Oystercatchers here in Utah but I still dream about these shorebirds and can hear their calls when I look at the thousands of images I took of them.

Coyote After An Early Morning Swim?

By |September 24th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Coyotes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm not exactly sure why this Coyote was wet but it had to have been from the water of the Great Salt Lake because the Coyote was along the causeway to Antelope Island, a couple miles from the park entrance and a couple to the island itself.

Go to Top