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
Great Blue Herons and the Great Salt Lake
It does seem odd though to see Great Blue Herons hanging around the Great Salt Lake after the chicks have fledged like this immature heron I photographed yesterday near the causeway.
Short-eared Owl On An Old Juniper Fence Post
I loved taking photos of birds on those old fence posts like this male Short-eared Owl that was looking down to the ground for prey.
Sleeping Juvenile Sanderling On The Beach At Fort De Soto
When I look at this photo of the juvenile Sanderling I see a bird that was so relaxed that it fell asleep while I photographed it because it was comfortable with my presence and I felt honored that it was.
When the Birds are Slow In Utah There is Always Great Scenery
Finding birds was very challenging yesterday in the canyons of the Stansbury Mountains but it wasn't hard to find beauty in the scenery.
Shorebirds Are On The Move – Fall Migration
Shorebirds begin their fall migration early and for those of us who live in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem that means looking for them in the marshes around the lake and on the lake itself.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Giving Me the Eye
This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk may have looked like it was giving me the eye when I photographed it but it was actually looking for one of its parents to bring it some food.
Canada Geese and How Their Calls Signal a Change of Seasons For Me
There are lots of Canada Geese near where I live in part because of the grassy golf course that is not too far away and because of the Jordan River and several small ponds that are just down the hill.
Immature Song Sparrow Sporting a Messy Look
Birds aren't always neat looking, feathers wear, birds molt and young birds transitioning from their juvenal plumage into adult plumage can look quite disheveled or messy.
Male Black-necked Stilt Watching Over His Offspring At Bear River MBR
Thousands upon thousands of Black-necked Stilts make the marshes at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah their home during their breeding season.
Time for Antelope Island’s SpiderFest!
Today is the day for SpiderFest on Antelope Island State Park, a celebration of the interesting spiders that live on the island.
Two-headed Juvenile Western Kingbird? A Mere Optical Illusion
This image kind of looks like I photographed a two-headed juvenile Western Kingbird but it is really an optical illusion.
Dreaming of Tundra Swans & Winter
Some Tundra Swans migrate from the arctic tundra using the Great Basin hub of the Pacific flyway and huge flocks of them spend the winter here.
White-faced Ibis at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was calling me yesterday morning and I answered that call and photographed several White-faced Ibis from the auto tour route.
Female and Juvenile Northern Yellow Warblers – Yellow Gold in the Wasatch Mountains
I have my ears and my eyes to thank for finding the Northern Yellow Warblers and their young foraging near a creek in a canyon.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Rousing While Lifting Off
On the way home I did spot a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a power pole near Blue Creek Spring and I put my lens on it because I was hoping it would take flight after it finished preening itself on the pole.
Gray & Windy Day Great Blue Heron Portrait
This Great Blue Heron wandered past me one December morning at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach on a gray, windy day and because it was close I simply had to take a photo of the large wading bird.
Intruding Red-naped Sapsucker – Or Just A Curious Bird?
I do not believe that this bird was one of the pair of adult Red-naped Sapsuckers I photographed feeding the chick in the nesting cavity, his bib and breast markings were different from the other adult birds.
Black-billed Magpie Juvenile Perched On A Sign on Antelope Island
There was a tribe of juvenile Black-billed Magpies on Antelope Island State Park yesterday down near White Rock Bay that were wandering around in the area near the Buffalo Point trailhead
Up close with a Tree Swallow at Red Rock Lakes NWR
While stopped at a gate at Red Rock lakes NWR a Tree Swallow flew in and landed on a fence post so close that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to focus on it but I had to try.
Centennial Valley Savannah Sparrow
Some of the birds I see often while at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana are Savannah Sparrows and I love to photograph them there.
Centennial Valley Bull Elk in Velvet
When I spotted two bull elk early in the morning in the sagebrush of the Centennial Valley on the 10th of July I was very excited and started taking photos as soon as I could.
Rehabilitated Burrowing Owl Flying Free
Two days ago I watched and photographed as April Olson who is a volunteer at Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah release a rehabbed Burrowing Owl and it was very exciting for me because I've never been to a release before
One Serious Looking Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile and a Survivor Too
I was pleased and relieved to see the surviving Red-tailed Hawk juvenile perched on a corral close to the edge of the road and looking well fed and healthy.
Water Dance of Leucistic Eared Grebes on the Great Salt Lake
I will probably never see and photograph so many leucistic Eared Grebes again in my life time as I did yesterday on the Great Salt Lake.
Cassin’s Finch With His Head Tilted
I didn't have the good fortune to photograph another Cassin's Finch on my trip so I am glad I took the time to take photos of this one looking around his home in the Centennial Valley of Montana.
Mule Deer Doe with a Western Spotted Orbweaver & Webs on Her Face
I can't resist photographing birds or wildlife up close so I swung my lens around and focused on the face of the Mule Deer and laughed out loud because she was covered in spiderwebs.
Thousands & Thousands of Wilson’s Phalaropes over the Great Salt Lake
I know how blessed I am to be able to see and photograph the spellbinding spectacle of thousands and thousands of Wilson's Phalaropes lift off and take flight en masse
Bank Swallow Over the Red Rock River
While I looked around four days ago I saw this Bank Swallow resting on a fence that hangs over the Red Rock River and could not resist photographing it with the blue water below and behind it.
Streambank Globemallow – Pretty in Pink
Streambank Globemallow has a few common names including Wild Hollyhock, Mountain Hollyhock, Mountain Globemallow and Streambank Wild Hollyhock
American Crow Fledglings Riding The Rails
There were several fledglings on the rails but I liked how these two young American Crows were relatively close together and both looking the same direction, up the rails and to the north