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.

Male Belted Kingfisher in Winter at Farmington Bay WMA

By |September 16th, 2017|Categories: Belted Kingfishers, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Belted Kingfishers are year round residents in northern Utah but my best opportunities to photograph them at Farmington Bay WMA are during the winter.

Caspian Tern Banded at Malheur NWR Flying over Bear River MBR

By |September 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Caspian Terns, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Although I didn't see it at the time I photographed this bird in flight the Caspian Tern did fly in close enough for me to capture images that showed it had bands on its legs.

American White Pelican Dumping a Load in Flight

By |September 12th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I focused on this bird I didn't know I'd be photographing an American White Pelican dumping a load while flying over the marshes at the refuge with the Promontory Mountains in the background.

Wading Birds At Bear River MBR Yesterday

By |September 11th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had fun photographing the juvenile Great Blue Heron, juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron and the adult Snowy Egret yesterday at Bear River MBR. I especially loved the clearer skies.

Is This American White Pelican Flying With Its Bill Full?

By |September 9th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I just don't know but I do know I have never seen an American White Pelican in flight with its bill looking like this ever before and I have photographed them hundreds of times in flight.

Juvenile Mourning Dove in Morning Light in Southwestern Montana

By |September 8th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Beaverhead County, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Mourning Doves, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The juvenile and out of focus adult Mourning Doves were perched on a lichen encrusted, slightly frosted fence rail near the road in the southern part of the Centennial Valley.

Clark’s Grebes Rushing in September at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |September 7th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Clark's Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was positively amazed to see the Clark's Grebes rushing across the water this late in the year, personally I've never seen them rush past the end of July.

Franklin’s and Ring-billed Gulls Flying in Smoky Skies

By |September 6th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Franklin's Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I did take some nice Franklin's and Ring-billed Gull photos in flight over the water of the marshes at the refuge despite the smoky sky.

Young Trumpeter Swan Glowing Brightly On Dark Waters In Montana

By |August 31st, 2017|Categories: Beaverhead County, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Birds, Centennial Valley, Montana, Trumpeter Swans|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

One of my fondest memories for photographing Trumpeter Swans happened on an evening of September of 2015 in southwestern Montana.

Winter Common Mergansers – A Visual Break From The Summer Heat

By |August 30th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Common Mergansers, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Back in February there was still snow on the ground, ice on the water and Common Mergansers were at Farmington Bay WMA and some were sporting their breeding plumage.

Juvenile American White Pelican at Bear River MBR

By |August 28th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

When the young American White Pelicans are old enough to leave the island they fly to areas like Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge to learn how to catch fish on their own before they migrate in the fall.

Pied-billed Grebe with Prey at Farmington Bay – West Davis Corridor Impacts

By |August 27th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Pied-billed Grebes, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In just a little over two weeks birders, hunters and bird photographers should have access to more of Farmington Bay WMA than we have had since March. Or will we?

One Funny Looking American White Pelican Photo

By |August 26th, 2017|Categories: American White Pelicans, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

To me it looks like this American White Pelican was doing an impression of a floating, domestic white turkey because when the pelican was facing me nearly head on the length of pelican's long bill seemed to disappear

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron Encounter at Bear River NWR

By |August 25th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Black-crowned Night Herons, Box Elder County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron encounter on the auto tour route at the refuge and the resulting photos that made me smile the most when I viewed the images on my monitor at home

Adult Ring-billed Gull Hovering Over The Marsh At Farmington Bay

By |August 22nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Miscellaneous, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Ring-billed Gull last November as it hovered over the autumn colored marsh and I really like the resulting photo. The pose, the light, the setting, the contrast in colors all work well for my tastes.

Juvenile Burrowing Owl VS a Juvenile Peregrine Falcon

By |August 21st, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Burrowing Owls, Davis County, Peregrine Falcons, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight years ago today I didn't know that it would be the last time I'd photograph the Burrowing Owl family together and that a juvenile Peregrine Falcon would have a part in that.

Fleeting Moments With An Immature Black-chinned Hummingbird

By |August 20th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Davis County, Hummingbirds, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago I had a few fleeting moments with an immature Black-chinned Hummingbird that flew in and landed close to me and I relished every second with it.

Black-chinned & Rufous Hummingbirds, White-lined Sphinx Moths and Monarch Butterflies

By |August 18th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Davis County, Monarch Butterflies, Rufous Hummingbirds, Utah, White-lined Sphinx Moths|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Rocky Mountain Bee Plants are blooming all over the Salt Lake Valley right now and those beautiful, spider-like flowers are attracting hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, bees and a host of insects.

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