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.

Female House Finch Eating Crabapples

By |December 18th, 2022|Categories: Birds, House Finches, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to get outside in the bitter cold for about an hour yesterday and found myself focused on a female House Finch eating crabapples close to home.

Immature Male Common Goldeneye And Catfish

By |December 16th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Common Goldeneyes, San Juan County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On this day two years ago, I photographed this immature male Common Goldeneye with a catfish at the pond in my neighborhood. It was a chilly, wintry afternoon.

Immature Rough-legged Hawk, Staring Prey And Feaking

By |December 15th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Rough-legged Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am sharing photos of an immature Rough-legged Hawk, its staring prey, of the bird feaking and a bonus image that shows the tongue of the hawk.

Birds On Ice In Northern Utah

By |December 14th, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Common Ravens, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm sharing photos of five bird species that I find on ice during the coldest months of the year in marsh and urban locations.

Queenfisher – 2023 ABA Bird of the Year

By |December 11th, 2022|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The 2023 ABA Bird of the Year was revealed yesterday evening. The bird of the year is the Queenfisher, also known as the female Belted Kingfisher.

Crabapples, Snow And Male House Finch Photos

By |December 9th, 2022|Categories: Birds, House Finches, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

After I cleared the snow from my Jeep yesterday morning, I went out for a bit and took a few male House Finch photos as they feasted on crabapples.

Sycamore Bark Close Up

By |December 5th, 2022|Categories: American Sycamore, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday afternoon, after I walked around my local pond and the Jordan River Parkway Trail, I stopped to take close up photos of the bark on my neighbor's American Sycamore tree.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk In A Safety Zone

By |December 4th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

About two years ago, I photographed this immature Red-tailed Hawk resting above a safety zone sign at Farmington Bay WMA on a cold morning.

Bright Winter Light VS A Winter Whiteout

By |December 3rd, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Tundra Swans, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Earlier this year I photographed a Tundra Swan in bright winter light that today I am comparing to another swan image I took in winter whiteout conditions.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk Head On Stare

By |November 28th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Red-tailed Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If I were a vole, I'd tremble in fear under the head on stare of this immature Red-tailed Hawk that I photographed last week at Farmington Bay WMA.

Orange-crowned Warbler In Fall Migration

By |November 27th, 2022|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Orange-crowned Warblers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last time I wrote about this species I said that I was feeling Orange-crowned Warbler deprived. Just a few days later I had this beauty in my viewfinder.

Male Northern Harrier Photo

By |November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Northern Harriers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd like this photo of a male Northern Harrier more if there weren't camping trailers from a duck hunting club near the auto loop of Bear River MBR behind him.

West Desert Dark Morph Ferruginous Hawk

By |November 21st, 2022|Categories: Birds, Ferruginous Hawks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nearly three years have passed since I found, pointed out, and photographed this stunning dark morph Ferruginous Hawk in the West Desert of Utah.

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