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.

Franklin’s Gull Feasting On Brine Flies Plus News About The Great Salt Lake

By |July 25th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While Franklin's Gulls are in northern Utah for their breeding season brine flies are an important food source for the adults and their young and are a part of their breeding success here in the Great Basin.

Nashville And MacGillivray’s Warblers – A Visual Comparison

By |July 24th, 2021|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Nashville Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In late summer I see Nashville and MacGillivray’s Warblers in the same locations and habitats foraging for the same food, aphids.

Immature Belted Kingfisher With A Spider Web

By |July 23rd, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What I missed seeing was that the immature Belted Kingfisher had spider webs stuck to its face in a long series of photos that I took of it next to a creek in the Wasatch Mountains.

Female Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly

By |July 22nd, 2021|Categories: Great Spangled Fritillary Butterflies, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This is a female Great Spangled Fritillary, a butterfly species that can be abundant in the Wasatch Mountains at this time of the year. 

Goofy Looking Canada Goose Lift Off

By |July 21st, 2021|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Canada Geese, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some of the bird photos I take make me laugh and this goofy looking Canada Goose lifting off from the marsh at Bear River MBR is one of them.

Fritillary photobombing a Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly

By |July 20th, 2021|Categories: Morgan County, Two-tailed Swallowtails, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I photographed a fritillary butterfly photobomb a Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly as it nectared on a Showy Milkweed high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Yellow Warbler Fledgling Plumage Changes

By |July 18th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The past few weeks I've been hearing and seeing Yellow Warbler fledglings while I have been photographing birds high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Blooming Blue Elderberry

By |July 17th, 2021|Categories: Blue Elderberry, Summit County, Trees, Shrubs and Flowers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Blue Elderberry shrubs are blooming right now high in the Wasatch Mountains. Two days ago I took a few photos of the elderberry blossoms.

Male Lazuli Bunting Plus American Mink Family Photos

By |July 16th, 2021|Categories: American Mink, Birds, Lazuli Buntings, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I started my morning off yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains photographing an American Mink family that appeared on the bank of a creek. 

Turkey Vulture, An Aspen And A Smoky Haze

By |July 15th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Turkey Vultures, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The last bird I photographed high in the Wasatch Mountains three days ago was an adult Turkey Vulture perched in an aspen in a smoky haze.

Two-tailed Swallowtail And Showy Milkweed

By |July 14th, 2021|Categories: Morgan County, Two-tailed Swallowtails, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I returned home and could view my images on a large screen I was able to identify this swallowtail butterfly as a male Two-tailed Swallowtail.

Least Chipmunk On A Smoky Morning In The Mountains

By |July 13th, 2021|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I couldn't escape the smoke that is covering Utah even high in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday but I was delighted to photograph a Least Chipmunk and wildflowers through the smoky haze.

Twelve Years In Utah

By |July 10th, 2021|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Red-necked Phalaropes, Utah, Wilson's Phalaropes|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Twelve years ago this morning I woke in Grand Island, Nebraska. I was a little more than 800 miles from my destination of Salt Lake City.

Immature And Adult Male Belted Kingfisher Images

By |July 9th, 2021|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I was delighted to have both an immature and an adult male Belted Kingfisher in my viewfinder as I sat next to a creek in the mountains.

Surprise Pine Siskin

By |July 8th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Pine Siskins, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I was high in the Wasatch Mountains photographing bees on a Musk Thistle when a Pine Siskin landed on the flower.

Male Brown-headed Cowbird Displaying

By |July 5th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Brown-headed Cowbird breeding activity hasn't slowed down yet high in the Wasatch Mountains if this displaying male is any indication of their mating attempts.

Male American Goldfinch Perched On A Chokecherry Tree

By |July 4th, 2021|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

At the end of June I had a few moments to focus on an adult male American Goldfinch perched on a chokecherry tree high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Female Spotted Sandpiper Post-coital Photo

By |July 2nd, 2021|Categories: Birds, Spotted Sandpipers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What intrigued me the most was the post-coital posture of the female Spotted Sandpiper where she kept one wing raised for a long period of time.

Gray Catbird Searching For Berries

By |June 30th, 2021|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I spent part of my time in the Wasatch Mountains focused on a Gray Catbird searching for ripe honeysuckle berries. 

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