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.

Pied-billed Grebe – From A Distance And Up Close

By |2024-01-28T05:08:16-07:00January 28th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Pied-billed Grebes, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I was out enjoying some sunshine yesterday morning, I photographed an adult Pied-billed Grebe from a distance and up close at one of my local ponds.

I’m Still Looking For This Leucistic American Coot

By |2024-01-26T13:36:50-07:00January 26th, 2024|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Rarities, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I remember feeling very thrilled when I found this leucistic American Coot on January 2, 2023. I'd been hoping to find a leucistic coot for quite a long time.

Ring-billed Gull Flying In Heavy Fog

By |2024-01-25T05:21:25-07:00January 25th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Once upon a time, in a marsh not so far away, I photographed a Ring-billed Gull flying in heavy fog. It was the densest fog I have ever photographed in.

Rough-legged Hawk On A No Swimming Sign

By |2024-01-24T06:48:09-07:00January 24th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While looking for a photo to share this morning I found this immature Rough-legged Hawk on a No Swimming Sign with the snowy Wasatch Mountains in the background.

American Crow Nictitating Membrane Images

By |2024-01-22T05:22:03-07:00January 22nd, 2024|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning, I'm sharing three portraits of an American Crow, two of which include the very pale, nearly icy-blue nictitating membrane that these crows have.

Ring-necked Duck And An Odd Lesser Scaup

By |2024-01-27T12:13:16-07:00January 20th, 2024|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seven days ago I found a Ring-necked Duck and an odd Lesser Scaup drake at my local pond. The scaup puzzled me and I wondered if he might be a hybrid.

Drake Ruddy Duck In Early Breeding Plumage

By |2024-01-20T03:52:38-07:00January 19th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Ruddy Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've been paying a lot of attention to a drake Ruddy Duck at my local pond because he has gone into breeding plumage earlier than is normal for this species.

Fun With A Goofy Immature Ring-billed Gull

By |2024-01-16T04:52:20-07:00January 16th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm always ready for fun, and this goofy, immature Ring-billed Gull provided a bit of fun for me yesterday afternoon at one of my snowy local ponds.

Common Mergansers And Remote Controlled Harassment

By |2024-01-15T05:09:41-07:00January 15th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Harassment, Miscellaneous, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wildlife Ethics|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed these Common Mergansers at my local pond three years ago today. I will explain why I only had a few minutes with the mergansers at my local pond.

Male Mallard Resting In Snow – Connections

By |2024-01-14T04:26:34-07:00January 14th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Mallards, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I visited my local ponds yesterday even though the sky was gray, and snow was falling. While I was there, I photographed this male Mallard resting in the snow.

California Gull – A Misnamed Gull Species

By |2024-01-13T11:41:19-07:00January 13th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I photographed a winter California Gull at my local pond two days ago, I thought about how these gulls are a misnamed species for the umpteenth time.

I Am Missing This Cooperative Rough-legged Hawk

By |2024-01-09T05:58:30-07:00January 9th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Once upon a time, and not so long ago, I could count on seeing this light-morph Rough-legged Hawk at a specific area of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge tour route.

White-faced Ibis Do Overwinter At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-08T05:11:05-07:00January 8th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On New Year's Day, I photographed two small flocks of White-faced Ibis at Bear River MBR. It isn't unusual at all for this ibis species to overwinter at the refuge.

Northern Harrier – My First Raptor of 2024

By |2024-01-07T04:17:38-07:00January 7th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first raptor I photographed in 2024 was this young male Northern Harrier that I found near the refuge auto tour loop at Bear River MBR on New Year's Day.

Herring Gull In Flight Close Up

By |2024-01-06T04:55:52-07:00January 6th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Golden Eagles, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.

Winter Great Blue Heron On Thin Bear River Ice – Utah Is On Thin Ice Too

By |2024-01-05T04:58:20-07:00January 5th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Great Blue Herons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Great Blue Heron almost two years ago, walking gingerly on the thinning ice of the Bear River. I was on my way to the auto tour loop at the refuge when I spotted this heron.

Fun Drake Mallard At Bear River MBR

By |2024-01-13T03:19:59-07:00January 4th, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Mallards, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On New Year's Day morning, I had fun photographing a drake Mallard from the auto tour loop of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge as he lifted off from the marsh.

Drake Northern Pintail At Bear River MBR On New Year’s Day

By |2024-01-03T03:56:24-07:00January 3rd, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Pintails, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was thrilled to find and photograph a handsome drake Northern Pintail out on the auto tour loop of Bear River MBR on New Year's Day morning.

Common Raven – My First Of Year Bird 2024

By |2024-01-02T03:42:26-07:00January 2nd, 2024|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Common Ravens, Scenics, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My first bird of the year for 2024 was a Common Raven I found yesterday morning on my way out to the auto tour loop of Bear River MBR.

Cooper’s Hawk – My Last Bird of 2023

By |2024-01-01T14:41:24-07:00January 1st, 2024|Categories: Birds, Cooper’s Hawks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As the sun was setting on the last day of 2023, the last bird I saw was a neighborhood Cooper's Hawk. I shared that sighting with my neighbor, Shane, and his son, Kadence.

2023 – That’s A Wrap

By |2024-01-08T04:03:30-07:00December 31st, 2023|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Indigo Buntings|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm breaking from my own tradition this year and simply calling 2023 a wrap. Typically, I share photos from each month of the year and write about my journeys.

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