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
My First of Year Swainson’s Hawk and April Snow on Antelope Island
My best find of the day was my first of the year Swainson's Hawk about two thirds of the way down the island perched in some trees near a freshwater spring.
Missing the Birds of Bear River MBR & Spring Migration
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route is still closed and many of the birders, bird photographers and nature lovers are itching to know what birds are there because after all spring migration is an exciting time at the refuge.
Female And Male Western Meadowlarks – A Glimpse Into Their Mating Behaviors
Three days ago while out on Antelope Island State Park under cloudy skies I was able to observe a glimpse into the mating behaviors of a pair of Western Meadowlarks.
Burrowing Owl At Its Burrow On A Cloudy Day
I photographed this Burrowing Owl adult at its burrow earlier this week not too long after a huge bank of clouds moved over Antelope Island State Park.
Ospreys of Honeymoon Island State Park
Honeymoon Island State Park in Pinellas County, Florida is a great place to see and photograph nesting Ospreys, not just one or two nests either, there are often quite a few.
Cinnamon Teal, Short-eared Owl & Red-Tailed Hawk – A Nice Mixture of Birds
It felt great to photograph a nice mixture of birds yesterday and and to be out enjoying the beautiful scenery of northern Utah. Life is good.
Red-tailed Hawks On Cliff Faces
I appreciate it when I can photograph Red-tailed Hawks on Cliff faces well away from the man made objects including power poles and wires, fence posts and barbed wire
Male Short-eared Owls On the Prowl in Idaho, Montana and Utah
Short-eared Owls are nomadic so the places where I saw and photographed these male Short-eared Owls last year may or may not have owls this breeding season.
Song Sparrow In Box Elder County, Utah – Bird Sounds of Spring
I was trying to photograph some Red-tailed Hawks when I heard a song close to me and realized it was a Song Sparrow before I even located the bird and put my lens on it.
Antelope Island Mourning Dove Close Up
I'm keeping my daily post simple today, as simple as a Mourning Dove close up I photographed on Antelope Island last spring taken while it moved through the dew laden grasses.
American Bison Tears
In this American Bison's tears I saw my own tears and deep concerns for what is happening to our environment now and the potential threats that future generations will have to face if we don't take action today.
Pair of Red-tailed Hawks Mating – A Wild 34 Seconds
What I didn't expect yesterday was that I would be able to photograph the Red-tailed Hawks mating on the lichen-covered outcropping but that is what happened
Long-billed Curlews – The Candlestick Birds
I saw quite a few Long-billed Curlews yesterday wandering in the spring grasses and this time I was able to get nice images of them. Nicknames for Long-billed Curlews include "sicklebird" and "candlestick bird."
Mule Deer and Spring Grasses
The warm temps and wet weather have produced lush, green spring grasses and forbs and the Mule Deer are now able to find fresh food without snow cover
Foggy Morning Red-tailed Hawks & Turkey Vulture
It wasn't "partly sunny" as predicted but I enjoyed myself while photographing the Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawks on a foggy morning even though it tested my skills and techniques.
American White Pelicans – PeliCam and PeliTrack
American White Pelicans are returning to their breeding grounds in Utah and I have already seen a few of them myself and though I haven't been able to photograph them yet I know I will soon.
Cooperative First of Year Turkey Vulture
I was pleased to see and photograph my first of the year Turkey Vulture perched on a fence post next to a road yesterday in northern Utah.
Spring Means Nesting Birds and Chicks – Please Give Them Space
Spring means birds are getting ready to find mates, breed, nesting and raising their young.
Burrowing Owl Near Its Burrow Plus A Bonus Common Raven In Flight
The best bird photography opportunity of the day happened when I spotted a Burrowing Owl near its burrow and I took advantage of the nice light to take quite a few images of the owl framed by grasses and blooming Red-stem Filaree.
Age Related Color Morphs of Little Blue Herons
Little Blue Herons start off their lives with white plumage, then look piebald with blue and white fathers and finally look more "blue" as adults.
Mule Deer leaping over a fence in Box Elder County
I got lucky and the first Mule Deer that leaped over the fence filled my viewfinder and I didn't clip anything.
Spring Songs – Savannah Sparrows
On my last two trips up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I have heard Savannah Sparrows singing "sit sit sit sit suh-EEEEE say" from somewhere in the marshes.
Midge Swarms – Messy & Annoying But An Important Food Source For Many Birds
I have complained about the midges in this post because they are messy and annoying but one thing that I feel is critical to mention is that these midges are an important food source for the birds that live and breed at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
Photographing Chukars on Antelope Island
Yesterday morning I was able to spend time photographing a pair of Chukars on Antelope Island State Park in a grassy area that has begun to turn green.
Clark’s and Western Grebes Return to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I'm happy that the Clark's and Western Grebes have returned for their breeding season at the refuge and I look forward to photographing them while they are here.
Sandhill Cranes Plus Views of Flooded Marshes at Bear River MBR
I saw and photographed a mated pair of Sandhill Cranes yesterday morning in the marsh from the auto tour loop and watched them search for food.
Western Meadowlarks Are Very Active Right Now – They Know Spring Has Arrived
Western Meadowlarks are very active right now on the island, searching for insects, scurrying through the grasses and singing their hearts out from their favorite perches.
Go Easy on Adding Saturation in Bird Photography – Over Processing Mistakes
In bird photography there is such a thing as over processing mistakes and the mistake I see most often is adding way too much saturation.
Female Belted Kingfisher Looking For And Catching Prey
I took several hundred images of a female Belted Kingfisher looking for and catching prey while it was bright and sunny yesterday afternoon.
Cooper’s Hawk Takes Flight in Northern Utah
The Cooper's Hawk took flight without much warning at all and for a second I lost it while tracking the hawk but regained focus as it flew south past me.