Photographer and Author

About Mia McPherson

I'm Mia McPherson. I became seriously passionate about bird photography while living in Florida. After my move West in 2009 I spent much of my time photographing birds in Utah, Idaho, Montana, and beyond. Now I photograph in primarily in east central Oklahoma and Arkansas. 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.

Least Chipmunk Eating A Serviceberry

By |June 28th, 2020|Categories: Least Chipmunks, Morgan County, Shrubs, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week while I was up in the Wasatch Mountains photographing birds I had a Least Chipmunk pop into my view while it ate a serviceberry.

Curious Short-eared Owl Fledgling At Bear River MBR

By |June 26th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Short-eared Owls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took quite a few photos of the fledgling Short-eared Owl that I had a clear view of and even though the lighting wasn't the best I was enchanted by the views I had of it.

Eastern Kingbird Perched On Pickleweed

By |June 24th, 2020|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Eastern Kingbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One of the birds I was excited to see and photograph yesterday morning was an adult Eastern Kingbird perched on a pickleweed next to the road.

Black Henbane – Noxious Weeds In Utah

By |June 23rd, 2020|Categories: Black Henbane, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This plant is Black Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) and is also known as Henbane, Hog’s-bean, and Stinking Nightshade and is native to the Mediterranean.

Weidemeyer’s Admiral Butterflies In The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 22nd, 2020|Categories: Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Weidemeyer's Admiral Butterflies, Wildlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I was able to photograph Weidemeyer's Admiral butterflies up in the Wasatch Mountains on two consecutive days and the butterflies had me all aflutter.

Female Northern Yellow Warbler Foraging In Sage

By |June 20th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't see Northern Yellow Warblers foraging in sage very often so I was thrilled to photograph an adult female as she poked around a clump of sagebrush in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday.

Female Brown-headed Cowbird In A Serviceberry

By |June 17th, 2020|Categories: Beaverhead County, Birds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Morgan County, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Savannah Sparrows, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three days ago one of the birds that the Song Sparrows chased off was an adult female Brown-headed Cowbird that landed on a serviceberry in front of me.

Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird At A Blooming Snowberry

By |June 15th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds do all the nest building, incubating, feeding and rearing of their young while they are here during their breeding season.

Say’s Phoebes And Sagebrush

By |June 12th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Box Elder County, Habitat, Say's Phoebes, Shrubs, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over time I have come to associate Say's Phoebes with sagebrush because I don't think I have ever seen or photographed one of these phoebes where there wasn't sage nearby here in northern Utah.

Soaking Wet MacGillivray’s Warbler After Leaf-bathing

By |June 11th, 2020|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I was allowed a peek into the leaf-bathing behavior of this MacGillivray's Warbler I photographed high in the Wasatch Mountains.

Painted Lady Butterfly And Rocky Mountain Bee Plants

By |June 10th, 2020|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Painted Lady Butterflies, Utah, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'd forgotten about this Painted Lady butterfly I photographed in August of 2017 that I found while photographing hummingbirds on Antelope Island State Park.

MacGillivray’s Warblers In The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 7th, 2020|Categories: Birds, MacGillivray's Warblers, Morgan County, Song Sparrows, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Despite the difficulties I have finding and photographing MacGillivray's Warblers I will keep trying to take better images of them.

Photographing Gray Catbird Interactions In The Mountains

By |June 6th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Gray Catbirds, Morgan County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I'm grateful that I spotted a single Gray Catbird pop up on top of a snowberry bush yesterday morning because if I hadn't none of the following photos would have been possible.

Adult Male Northern Yellow Warbler Perched In Willows

By |June 4th, 2020|Categories: Birds, Northern Yellow Warblers, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When this adult male Northern Yellow Warbler landed in a willow near me I was more than happy to photograph him surrounded by the willows.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird In The Wasatch Mountains

By |June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Summit County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I saw this female Black-chinned Hummingbird land on a willow branch not far from where I sat in a mobile blind and I was delighted to photograph her.

Two Greater Sage-Grouse Foraging On The Aquarius Plateau

By |June 2nd, 2020|Categories: Birds, Dixie National Forest, Greater Sage-Grouse, Utah, Wayne County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found these two foraging Greater Sage-Grouse high up on the Aquarius Plateau in Wayne County, Utah five years ago today.

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.

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