My Story Timeline
I write about the true stories behind my images and share them on my site. One day, I might write about birds; the next, about an insect; and the following day, I might focus on a specific location. Each of these stories revolves around nature, my connection to it, or my concerns about preserving our natural world. This journal primarily serves as a collection of factual accounts from my journeys in the field.
While my primary passion is for birds, since everything in nature is interconnected, I photograph everything and write about it all. My life has always been intertwined with nature, and I hope it always will be.
Best wishes,
Mia
Short-eared Owl Surveying the Centennial Valley of Montana
The Short-eared Owl was perched on the post and slowly turned its head to look around as if it was surveying the beauty of the valley it had made its home in.
Dabbling Duck Shuffle – Plus White Geese Become Gray Geese
A few more changes in the Fifty-Eighth Supplement to the AOS Check-list have to do with dabbling ducks and "white geese".
Red-naped Sapsucker in the Uinta Mountains
This male Red-naped Sapsucker was photographed last year in the high Uintas, a mountain range that is east of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains I can see from where I live.
Eight-spotted Skimmer & Variegated Meadowhawk
I enjoyed photographing the Eight-spotted Skimmer and Variegated Meadowhawk while also taking photos of Red-tailed Hawk juvenile.
Photographing A Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk – Remembering To Breathe And Relax
I needed time out with the birds yesterday and this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk helped me to relax, breathe and remember that things have a way of working out.
Our Public Lands – Our Legacy
The people who will lose are the people who love the lands, value it and know our public lands are a legacy for all.
Preening Ring-billed Gull in a Snow Storm
I photographed this preening Ring-billed Gull in a snow storm in January of this year at a pond near where I live and it was pretty chilly that day.
No Willet Split Plus Other Nerdy Bird News
Just because Willets weren't split this year doesn't mean they won't be split in the future, who knows what changes will be made a year from now.
Red-tailed Hawk Fledglings And Some Sad News
I spotted two of the other Red-tailed Hawk chicks that I have been following since early spring and was delighted that they have now fledged and have both learned to fly.
Juvenile Eastern and Western Kingbirds – Their Ranges Overlap Here in Utah
The ranges for these two species of kingbirds overlap here in northern Utah but I see more of the Western Kingbirds than I do the Eastern Kingbirds.
Prickly Poppies, Bees and a Grasshopper
Each Prickly Poppy flower is about 3 to 5 inches across with yellow centers of clustered stamens and delicate petals that look like white crepe paper.
Mountain Bluebirds with Juveniles in Summit County
The young Mountain Bluebird turned and snatched the cricket from the male quickly before any of its siblings could reach the branches.
Perched Gray Flycatcher Eating A Damselfly
As I watched the Gray Flycatcher it flew towards me, snatched a damselfly from mid air then landed on a dead branch not too far away and proceeded to eat it while I photographed the bird.
Sleepy Male Burrowing Owl
Both times I photographed this male Burrowing Owl yesterday morning he looked very sleepy, he may be worn out from helping to raise a passel of chicks.
Female Red-tailed Hawk Brings A Duckling To Its Chicks
A few days ago I saw an adult Red-tailed Hawk fly towards its nest with prey for its chicks, the prey was a duckling.
Update On The Three Red-tailed Hawk Chicks Whose Nest Was Destroyed By The Wind
Yesterday I saw all three of the young Red-tailed Hawk chicks together perched on a fallen tree not far from where their natal nest had been before the wind knocked it down.
Snowy Egret Wading in Dark Water
I knew when I photographed this Snowy Egret in a shallow lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park that the dark reflections of the mangroves and mangrove roots on the water would produce a high contrast image.
Buck Pronghorn Close Up On Antelope Island – Worth the Gnat Bites?
My best photos of the day were of a buck Pronghorn that was very close to the dirt road I was on, he was so close I had trouble keeping all of his head in the frame.
Gulf Shore Black Skimmer Skimming
Black Skimmers forage by skimming their bills in the waves just off shore and snap up fish when their sensitive bills locate them.
Approaching Chicks Too Close – When Something Should be Said or Done
I know that what this person did was not right and the 8 moderators of that group should have said something but in 15 days they haven't said a word about them being too close to the owl chick.
One Year Since the Rescue of Galileo the Short-eared Owl
One year ago today I became part of an amazing group of people who rescued, rehabbed and trained Galileo the Short-eared Owl after finding him hung up on a barbed wire fence
Female Red-naped Sapsucker With a Bill Full of Ants
Maybe next year I'll have better opportunities with these Red-naped Sapsuckers and maybe they will chose to place their new nesting cavity in a location that is easier to photograph.
Short-eared Owl – Comparing Early to Mid Morning Light On My Subject
While this final image shows a beautiful Short-eared Owl, nice sharpness and details when I compare it to the first photo it just isn't as visually appealing to me as the first photo which was taken in softer light.
East Canyon Least Chipmunks – Chippies Delight Me
Yesterday while up in the Wasatch Mountains I was delighted to be able to photograph two Least Chipmunks I found in East Canyon of Morgan County, Utah.
Red-tailed Hawk Chicks – The Wind Blew Their Nest Away
I saw the Red-tailed Hawk chicks near where the nest had been though and I spent less than two minutes with them and took a few images before leaving them alone.
Female Red-winged Blackbirds – Frequency in Misidentification
Female Red-winged Blackbirds seem to be the birds that are most often misidentified probably because they look so different from the males. Red-winged Blackbirds are sexually dimorphic .
Cedar Waxwings in a Canyon & Memories of My Grandmother From Long Ago
I was looking through my archives from last year and came across some images I had taken last June in Morgan County, Utah that I hadn't processed yet and I came across these Cedar Waxwing photos.
Stretching Barn Swallow Close Up
When this Barn Swallow started to stretch its wings I was ready for the action and took several photos of it while it stretched on top of the fence post.
Male Cassin’s Finches Foraging in Beaverhead County, Montana
Two years ago today I was in Beaverhead County, Montana photographing Cassin's Finches foraging on the seeds of dandelions on a morning that had sunshine and plenty of fog.
Blooming Lewis’s Flax in the Wasatch Mountains
One of my favorite wildflowers is Lewis's Flax, I love how the blossoms move in a breeze because it seems like they are dancing and their blue color is appealing to my eyes.