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.

American Avocets In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage

By |August 22nd, 2012|Categories: American Avocets, Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this American Avocet in nonbreeding plumage as it foraged in Glover's Pond at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in northern Utah a few years ago in the month of November.

Which Way Did Mia Go?

By |August 19th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Humor, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some images strike my funny bone, this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk photograph sure has. This is but one of many captions that came to my mind after viewing it.

What I could have done to improve this image

By |August 19th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Pinellas County, Snowy Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This image could have been better. I have no doubt about that. I did get the exposure right and I like the action. But there are far too many things about this photo that just don't work.

Ferruginous Hawk in Beaverhead County, Montana

By |August 18th, 2012|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Ferruginous Hawks, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ferruginous Hawks are the largest hawks found in North America. They inhabit low elevation, open areas in the western United States and some locations in southwestern Canada and winter in southwestern US and Mexico.

Ruddy Turnstones In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage

By |August 17th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ruddy Turnstones in breeding and nonbreeding plumage can appear to be two different species to novice birders and bird photographers as can several other bird species.

Dunlins In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage

By |August 16th, 2012|Categories: Dunlins, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Dunlins exhibit a vast difference between nonbreeding and breeding plumage, so different that a novice birder might mistakenly believe that they were two different species.

Fish Crows – Why I Can’t Dislike Them

By |August 13th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, Egmont Key State Park, Fish Crows, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Gopher Tortoises, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was going to do a simple post about this image of a Fish Crow with a young Gopher Tortoise in its bill that was taken on Egmont Key State Park (also Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge), an island located just to the west of Fort De Soto, Florida.

Coyote Pup in Prairie Grasses

By |August 12th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Coyotes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I simply could not resist posting this gorgeous Coyote pup that I photographed today even though I posted another one recently. I loved the look the pup was giving me, the warm, beautiful morning light and wonderful prairie setting.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant

By |August 7th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , |

Rocky Mountain Bee Plants (Cleomella serrulata) are one of the wildflowers that are currently in bloom on Antelope Island State Park in some locations, they aren't as widespread as the Moth Mulleins so I treasure finding them.

Landing Wood Stork

By |August 6th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Wood Storks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wood Storks (Mycetaria americana) are the largest wading bird in North America and the only stork that breeds in the U.S.. Wood Storks are considered endangered primarily due to loss of habitat.

Laughing Gull – Small in the Frame

By |August 5th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Small in the frame|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On the day that I photographed this Laughing Gull either Hurricane Ike or Gustav was out near the center of the Gulf of Mexico that was churning up the water

Least Sandpiper – The World’s Smallest Shorebird

By |August 4th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Least Sandpipers, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) are the world's smallest shorebird, weighing in at a mere 0.7 ounces (20 g), a length of 6 inches and a wingspan of 13 inches.

Pronghorn Doe In A Field Of Wand Mullein

By |August 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Pronghorn, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I haven't posted a Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) for a while and thought I would share this one taken earlier this week on Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah today.

The Price For These Red-tailed Hawk Images

By |August 2nd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

After having driven around the north end of the island we headed south thinking there probably wouldn't be much to shoot there... until I spotted this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk perching on some of the darker rocks on the island.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk from the north side of the Centennial Valley, Montana

By |July 31st, 2012|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Red-tailed Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On my mid-July journey to southwestern Montana it seemed like there were juvenile hawks every where I looked, the east and west side of the Centennial Valley and the south and north sides too.

Willets in Beaverhead County, Montana

By |July 29th, 2012|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These images were taken at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana. There were two juvenile Willets plus an adult on the shoreline of the lower lake that delighted me.

Burrowing Owls – Most of the Family

By |July 28th, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I should mention that not all of the Burrowing Owls from this family are shown in this frame, there are possibly 4 more owlets that aren't perched on the sagebrush

Immature Franklin’s Gulls

By |July 27th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Centennial Valley, Franklin's Gulls, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like gulls, I know that gulls are not always a popular subject for many bird photographers and that they will often pass them by but to me they are as delightful, beautiful and fascinating as any other bird.

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