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
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay perched on an oak
Last month I was able to photograph this Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay on my way up to Cascade Springs in Wasatch County, Utah as it perched on an oak near the road.
Utah’s Bounty Program On Coyotes Is Just Plain Stupid
There is an article about the coyote bounty program in the Salt Lake Tribune that has me ticked off, or should I call it the ignorant name the state gave it, "Mule Deer Preservation Act".
American White Pelican Stretching
The caruncle or horn is a growth on the bill of American White Pelicans that occurs yearly during the breeding season.
Juvenile Dark Morph Harlan’s Hawk
Harlan's Hawks are a subspecies of Red-tailed Hawks that breed in Alaska and northern Canada and spend their winters in the northern Great Plains.
Nature’s Gifts
75,326 coyotes in 2013 were "denied" their portion of Nature's gifts when they were senselessly exterminated by USDA’s Wildlife Services
Rock Hopping Chukar
I've been missing Chukars on Antelope Island for the past few months.
Tricolored Heron In The Waves Of The Gulf
Just a simple Tricolored Heron image this morning that I created at Fort De Soto County Park in March of 2009.
Autumn Colors And A Resting Clark’s Grebe
Autumn colors have begun to appear and they are delightful when reflected on the water with a nearly black and white subject like this resting Clark's Grebe.
Red-winged Blackbird and a Midge
This male Red-winged Blackbird was photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Greater Sage-Grouse among the Lupine
If hope is the thing with feathers then I want to heap as much hope as I can find into the future of Greater Sage-Grouse.
Gunlock State Park, A Few Birds And Mojave Joshua Trees
I enjoyed my journey to Beaver Dam Wash, Gunlock State Park and the Mojave Desert even though I didn't see the birds I hoped to photograph, every journey is an adventure.
Wildness and Connections
This Terry Tempest Williams quote strikes a chord within me because I feel very connected to nature and wildness and that connection is with me every day of my life.
Sandwich Tern And A Pastel Sky
I have tons of images I haven't processed and last week while searching for a Royal Tern to post I came across this Sandwich Tern I had taken in Florida in 2009.
Coyote And The Deer Fly
Two years ago during the worst of the summer heat I photographed this Coyote and watched while it was pestered and probably bitten by a persistent Deer Fly.
Utah – The State with Billions of Views
I'm heading on another journey today to locations I have never been before so I expect I will be seeing plenty of views along the way.
Solitary Willet in soft morning light
This Willet image was taken on August 12, 2007 which is now over seven years ago and I can easily recall how thrilled I was to photograph this shorebird.
Swainson’s Hawk in evening light
A month ago I was in the Centennial Valley of Montana camping and the hawks I spent the most time photographing were Swainson's Hawks.
Conservation Is A State Of Harmony
I would love to say that while I am wandering around exploring the natural wonders we have been gifted with that I can forget about the assaults on the land and the creatures that live there but I can't.
A Royal Bath
These two bathing Royal Tern images remind me of the warm April morning when I spent time photographing different species splashing around in the Gulf of Mexico.
Young Raccoon On A Duckweed Mat
This young Raccoon looks as grumpy as I feel this morning.
Northern Harriers And “Ground Hunting”
Whatever the reason for this behavior I know that I enjoy photographing Northern Harriers while they are ground hunting in a winter wonderland.
Tricolored Heron Hunting The Gulf Of Mexico’s Shoreline
Tricolored Herons are smaller than Great Blue Herons and larger than Snowy Egrets and all three of these wading birds hunt in many of the same locations along the Gulf Coast.
American Badger portrait
I thought I would share another American Badger portrait that I took back in May of this year on Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah.
American White Pelican Portraits
It isn't all that often that I am able to obtain portraits of wild birds so when I had an opportunity last month to take portraits of this American White Pelican I jumped at the chance.
The Tapestry of Ecology
I often see this phrase "species in decline due to habitat destruction or fragmentation" or something similar and the frequency of seeing that phrase is most likely to become higher.
Merlin, Prey and Fog
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to photograph a Merlin two mornings in a row in the Centennial Valley of Montana, once in low light and once as a fog rolled in.
Looking Ahead To Winter
We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.
Head on stare from a juvenile Swainson’s Hawk
This juvenile Swainson's Hawk was photographed earlier this month in Beaverhead County, Montana on a cloudy morning with low light.
Morning Treasures From Six Years Ago Today – Birds On The Beach
These images of birds on the beach were taken at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach six years ago today on a beautiful morning.
Juvenile American Dippers
The drive to Cascade Springs was beautiful yesterday with the beginnings of fall colors on the mountains but for me the best part was photographing American Dippers again.