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.

An American Robin Who Briefly Fooled My Ears

By |June 1st, 2020|Categories: American Robins, Birds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

And I then had an "Ah ha" moment. No wonder I thought I was hearing a Cedar Waxwing when in actuality it was the American Robin calling out because of a predator that I did not see.

Female Mountain Bluebird With Prey

By |May 31st, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Mountain Bluebirds|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As I went through the images I took four years ago this photo of a female Mountain Bluebird perched on an old fence post with prey for her young in her bill stood out to me.

Well Hello There Green-tailed Towhee – I’ve Been Expecting You

By |May 30th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I heard the male Green-tailed Towhee before I could see him perched on the weathered post with lichens on the top so a view of him was no surprise for me.

Song Sparrow On A Cloudy Spring Morning

By |May 29th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Song Sparrows, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Song Sparrow didn't let the gray clouds overhead, the moisture in the air or its damp feathers stop it from singing to all the other birds within earshot. I have to admire that.

Hearing Thousands Of American Goldfinches Flying Overhead

By |May 28th, 2020|Categories: American Goldfinches, Birds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have never heard so many American Goldfinches flying overhead for such a long period of time and I was in awe. I still am.

Sunrise with a Long-billed Curlew In A Florida Lagoon

By |May 27th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I will say that my favorite and most memorable times photographing Long-billed Curlews happened while I was still living in Florida well away from their breeding grounds.

Adult Turkey Vultures Thermoregulating

By |May 26th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Turkey Vultures, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In April there was a bright, sunny morning when I had several opportunities to photograph adult Turkey Vultures warming up after a chilly night by thermoregulating.

Tree Swallows Nesting In The Uinta Mountains

By |May 25th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Summit County, Tree Swallows, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tree Swallows and other birds should be nesting in the Uinta Mountains by now and I am itching to hop into my Jeep to drive up there to find them.

Serviceberries Are Blooming In The Wasatch Mountains

By |May 24th, 2020|Categories: Morgan County, Shrubs, Trees, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What got me so excited was seeing how many serviceberries there were blooming on the slopes of the mountains and how thick the blossoms were on each of the shrubs.

One Spring Morning When Yellow-rumped Warblers Dripped From Trees

By |May 23rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Yellow-rumped Warblers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Almost one year ago I spent my morning photographing so many Yellow-rumped Warblers that they seemed to almost drip from the trees.

Searching And Listening For Cedar Waxwings

By |May 22nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Cedar Waxwings, East Canyon, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Every time I've gone up into the Wasatch Mountains lately I have been searching and listening for Cedar Waxwings to observe and photograph.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Male Hovering Below Black Twinberry Honeysuckle Flowers

By |May 21st, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Of the hundred or so images I took of the male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds in that small and very windy area I only liked this one photo.

Wet Swainson’s Hawk In A Storm

By |May 19th, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Montana, Swainson's Hawks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This adult male Swainson's Hawk was perched near his nest in a light rain and although he looked soaking wet that didn't appear to bother him much at all.

Focusing On House Wrens

By |May 18th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Clark County, Idaho, Morgan County, Northern House Wrens, Targhee National Forest, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

To photograph House Wrens and other birds I know I need to find them which means focusing my attention on the sights and sounds around me whenever I am out in the field which has worked extremely well for me.

Photographing A Foraging American Oystercatcher In The First Light Of Dawn

By |May 16th, 2020|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The soft light of dawn has a special quality to it and I believe that it is evident in both of these American Oystercatcher photos.

Female Yellow Warbler Foraging In A Hawthorn Tree

By |May 14th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight days ago I photographed my first male Yellow Warbler of the year and two days ago I had some luck with my first females of the season.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird In A Strong Breeze Plus A Favorite Perch

By |May 13th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird had had enough of getting bounced around he took off in a hurry with the wind fluffing up his upper chest feathers and the right side of his colorful gorget.

Uinta Ground Squirrels With Blue, Green And Gold Backgrounds

By |May 12th, 2020|Categories: Summit County, Uinta Ground Squirrels, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Early this month I was able to create this golden background by having leafless willows that line the creek below the road behind the Uinta Ground Squirrel when I photographed it.

What An Odd Mother’s Day But It Is Mother’s Day Nonetheless

By |May 10th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-bellied Plovers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I opted to go back in time to a "normal" Mother's Day by pulling a Black-bellied Plover photo from my archives that was taken on Mother's Day in 2009.

First Of Season Male Yellow Warbler Photo

By |May 9th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Morgan County, Northern Yellow Warblers, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago I was able to take my first of season Yellow Warbler photos when a male came up close to where I sat in my Jeep in a high mountain canyon.

Female Broad-Tailed Hummingbird Feeding, Hovering And Resting

By |May 8th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A few days ago I photographed my first of the season Broad-tailed Hummingbird and I was elated that the bird was a female.

One Bad Mama Mountain Bluebird And Her Swiss Army Knife

By |May 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Mountain Bluebirds, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Imagine my surprise when through my viewfinder I could see that the female Mountain Bluebird had landed on a Swiss Army knife that was stuck into the bark of one of the trees.

Female MacGillivray’s Warbler Perched In A Blooming Serviceberry

By |May 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This female MacGillivray’s Warbler popped into view briefly two years ago high in the Wasatch Mountains and even though she never came out into the open I enjoyed how she was surrounded by the white blooms of a Utah Serviceberry.

Green-tailed Towhees Are Migrating Into Utah

By |May 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Green-tailed Towhees, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One year ago today I "whooped" out loud when I spotted my first of the year Green-tailed Towhee singing as he perched in top of a sagebrush.

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