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.

Adult Female Northern Flicker Foraging In Hawthorns

By |September 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, East Canyon, Morgan County, Northern Flickers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This adult female Northern Flicker and a male were both foraging for hawthorn berries when I spotted them from across a creek high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Fragrant Sumac Shrub

By |September 28th, 2020|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Rock Squirrel was grasping a sumac branch and the shrub was so close to me I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to focus on it.

Adult Red-tailed Hawk With A Snake In The West Desert

By |September 27th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I noticed immediately that the Red-tailed Hawk was on prey because I saw it tearing into something despite the grasses that were partially obstructing my view.

One Funny Snowy Egret Photo

By |September 26th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Snowy Egrets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

September is a marvelous time for photographing Snowy Egrets in the freshwater marshes that surround the Great Salt Lake.

Photographing My First Green Heron In Northern Utah

By |September 24th, 2020|Categories: American White Pelicans, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Green Herons, Long-tailed Weasels, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a terrific "season opener" for me yesterday thanks to my keen observation skills at Farmington Bay WMA with a Green Heron, one-eared Long-tailed Weasel and a one-eyed American White Pelican.

Least Chipmunk With a Fly On Its Head – Things That Make Me Laugh

By |September 23rd, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are times I see funny things while I am out photographing that tickle me so much that I have to laugh out loud and yesterday that was this Least Chipmunk with a fly on its head.

Warbling Vireo And Fall Colors In The Stansbury Mountains

By |September 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Western Warbling-Vireos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When this Warbling Vireo popped into my view I knew if I wanted to photograph it I had to hurry because these small vireos move fast.

American Robins Foraging On Hawthorn Berries

By |September 21st, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Robins seemed especially abundant yesterday high in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy to photograph them foraging on the ripe berries of a hawthorn.

Male Brewer’s Blackbird And Thoughts On Changes

By |September 19th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I look at this seasonal change as a personal challenge to grow, to adapt and to meet my bird photography goals. I'm looking forward to the challenges and changes ahead.

Potpourri Of Ruby-crowned Kinglet Photos In Fall Colors

By |September 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I wanted to share a potpourri of Ruby-crowned Kinglet photos because I adore seeing and photographing these quick moving, charismatic little birds.

Photographing Late Summer Nashville Warblers

By |September 15th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Nashville Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I parked next to a stand of willows to see what birds would come in and it wasn't long before I was busy photographing Nashville Warblers foraging for aphids on the leaves of the trees.

Male Spotted Towhees – One Immature And One Adult

By |September 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Spotted Towhees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Spotted Towhees are among the most colorful members of the sparrow family and I always enjoy photographing them on those occasions when they are out in the open.

Rock Squirrel Resting On A Lichen Encrusted Boulder

By |September 13th, 2020|Categories: Rock Squirrels, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent the morning up in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday where one of the furry creatures I saw and photographed was a Rock Squirrel on a lichen encrusted boulder.

Hawk In The West Desert Perched In A Dead Juniper

By |September 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Red-tailed Hawks, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't usually share photos where the main subject is facing away from me but I liked the alert pose of this raptor as it perched in the dead but distant juniper tree.

I’m Just Mad About Sparrows

By |September 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Brewer's Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Utah, Vesper Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had a great time photographing all of the sparrow species I saw two days ago and I could have stayed with them all morning long. I might do just that later this week.

Focusing On Taking Immature Cooper’s Hawk Photos

By |September 7th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Cooper’s Hawks, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The first bird I photographed yesterday morning was an immature Cooper's Hawk that I found because I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk on a cliff face that the young accipiter decided to harass. 

Two Black-capped Chickadee Photos From This Week

By |September 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm happy to have had these two little Black-capped Chickadees in my viewfinder this week. I enjoy seeing, hearing, and photographing these perky primarily black and white birds.

Upside Down Nashville Warbler Foraging For Aphids

By |September 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Nashville Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I wanted to share this particular image today and explain how I got this shot of an upside down male Nashville Warbler hanging on a willow branch while foraging for aphids.

Yellow Warbler And A Hawthorn

By |September 1st, 2020|Categories: Birds, East Canyon, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These bright Yellow Warblers are getting ready for their long, fall migrations and while I am happy to see that they seem to have had a successful breeding season it also felt a touch bittersweet to me.

Four Years Ago Today I Found A Rare Upland Sandpiper

By |August 31st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Rarities, Upland Sandpipers, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today stopping for a Golden Eagle perched on a power pole in Box Elder County would net me a rare Upland Sandpiper sighting because of the sandpiper's chattering call.

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