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
Listening For Long-billed Curlews
The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America.
My Burrowing Owl Fascination – It Never Ends
I'm drawn to and fascinated by these western desert Burrowing Owls because they are beautiful, interesting and animated subjects. And they are pretty darn cute!
Marbled Godwit and Friends on Exposed Mudflats
In 2009 I photographed this foraging Marbled Godwit and friends on exposed mudflats of a Fort De Soto County Park lagoon.
Flooding at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge – Road Closure
I am anxious to get out to the Bear River MBR auto tour loop of the refuge to see what migrants have flown in but right now that isn't possible and there isn't any information on when the road will open again
Nomadic Short-eared Owls
Short-eared Owls are nomadic because they follow their main prey which is voles and if the vole population is low the Short-eared Owl density will also be low.
Greater Yellowlegs in Florida and Utah
I expect to see Greater Yellowlegs soon because they are one of the first shorebirds to migrate through Utah on their way to their breeding grounds.
Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in a Snow Storm
It was my photos of a Double-crested Cormorant and American Coot in the snow storm that touched me the most even though both birds are small in the frame.
Western Grebe Family at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
When I came across this Western Grebe family image that I took at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I knew this was an image that made me think of spring.
Showcasing Manky Mallard Portraits – They Are Oddly Beautiful
Some people might call these manky mallards homely, weird or even downright ugly but I prefer thinking of them as oddly beautiful and believe they are worthy of being showcased once in a while.
Comparing Common Gallinules and American Coots
Common Gallinules and American Coots are both from the Rallidae family and there are some similarities in their appearance, for instance both have a triangular bill with a frontal shield at the top.
Listening for Marsh Wren Songs – Sounds of Early Spring
I will be listening for the male Marsh Wrens songs at the pond nearby and the marshes at Farmington Bay WMA and Bear River MBR and waiting to see them pop up on top of the cattails, phrags and rushes.
American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Swainson’s Hawks – Spring Migrants On The Wing
We still have our winter birds and the spring migrants have begun their journey north so my bird photography is likely to pick up and get exciting soon if the clouds will give me a break.
Coyote Running On The Ice Of The Great Salt Lake
I was excited and delighted to spot and photograph a coyote running on the ice of the Great Salt Lake a few days ago in the golden light just after dawn.
Portraits Of Bison Bulls Drinking From An Iced Over Puddle
These portraits of bison bulls drinking from an iced over puddle were taken with my Nikon D500, my 500mm VR lens with a teleconverter attached from inside a vehicle.
Pied-billed Grebes in Flight – Rare Sight to See & Photograph
Yesterday afternoon I was at my local pond where I photographed not one but two Pied-billed Grebes in flight. This is rarely seen and rarely photographed.
Peregrine Falcon Stretching Sessions
I spent forty-one minutes observing and photographing this Peregrine Falcon yesterday while it rested, preened and stretched right next to the Great Salt Lake.
Mercur Canyon Rock Squirrel
I didn't have much luck at all with birds yesterday in the west desert canyons but I did spot and photograph a Rock Squirrel in Mercur Canyon.
Immature Rough-legged Hawk With Its Jackrabbit Prey
My best bird of the day was a juvenile Rough-legged Hawk standing on a jackrabbit in the snow that I spotted next to the road.
Fluffed up Male Brewer’s Blackbird at Farmington Bay
This Brewer's Blackbird male was with several other males on some weathered wooden pallets next to the road when he shook and fluffed up his feathers.
Dreaming of Greater Sage-Grouse, Sandhill Cranes and White-tailed Prairie Dogs
I'm dreaming of seeing Greater Sage-Grouse, Sandhill Cranes and White-tailed Prairie Dogs as spring warms up the sagebrush steppe.
Canada Geese on Willow Pond
Because they are very common in most North America Canada Geese are often overlooked as subjects by some bird photographers.
Male American Kestrel Resting and Preening – One Good Bird Can Make the Day
I have mentioned before how one good bird can make a day and yesterday that bird was a male American Kestrel resting and preening at Farmington Bay WMA.
Pair of Mallards Mating in February
Mallards form pairs in the fall and courtship can seen during the winter and seeing them mating in February isn't all that unusual.
Gray Partridges in Snow and Low Light – Frustrations in Bird Photography
The surprise birds of the day were Gray Partridges in an area where I hadn't seen them before and they were feeding close to the edge of the road.
Rough-legged Hawk, Lichens and Snow
When I photographed this Rough-legged Hawk on a snow and lichen covered rock the light was decent and brought out the colors of the hawk and the orange lichen covering the rocky outcropping it was perched on.
Coyote and a Vole on a Dreary Winter Day
I did not see many birds that dreary day but I did have fun photographing a Coyote hunting, catching and consuming a vole in low light conditions.
American Coot Chase – Aggressive Territorial Behavior
American Coots are quarrelsome birds and they are quick to give chase whether it is over food or territory and they will fight, sometimes even to death, for both.
Bathing Pied-billed Grebe Photos
When I saw this Pied-billed Grebe bathing at Farmington Bay I couldn't resist photographing it as it splashed water all over itself.
Photographing Common Mergansers at Farmington Bay
I spent time photographing a few Rough-legged Hawks but my personal choice for birds of the day were the Common Mergansers I observed and photographed.
American Coot Being Chased By Mallards For Food
Early in January I photographed an American Coot being chased by two Mallards for the food it carried in its bill.