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
Centennial Valley Cinnamon Teal
Things were "just ducky" earlier this month in the Centennial Valley of Montana and this Cinnamon Teal seemed to be enjoying the warm late afternoon light.
Bird Photography Isn’t Easy But It Does Have Its Rewards
Being a bird photographer has its rewards beyond the most obvious which for me is being out in nature or better yet being a part of it. It means with patience and plenty of time in the field I do get it right.
Trumpeter Swans – From Near Extinction to Restoration
Small populations of Trumpeter Swans were found in mountain valleys in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and those birds are the reason we have Trumpeter Swans today.
Light Morph Swainson’s Hawk Juvenile In Low Light
While in Montana earlier this month I had several opportunities to photograph juvenile Swainson's Hawks that were close and approachable but I didn't always have great light.
Interior West White-crowned Sparrow
Bird photography isn't easy and for smaller birds like this adult White-crowned Sparrow it can be challenging and require more patience than when photographing larger birds.
The Earth
I can not help but to feel a sense of wonder or be enchanted by the wild majesty of the Centennial Valley in southwestern Montana.
Close Up Of A Red-tailed Hawk In Flight
There are times when the birds I want to photograph are too far away and then there are times when the birds get too close, this Red-tailed Hawk got too close.
Pair of Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley
I was delighted to find quite a few Sandhill Cranes in the Centennial Valley of Montana last week and this pair was close enough to photograph.
Centennial Valley Bathing Vesper Sparrows
A Vesper Sparrow caught my eye last week as it fluttered and fluffed on an old barb wire fence near the road and I just had to photograph it.
A Very Obliging Swainson’s Hawk Juvenile
For three days I had great fun photographing two very obliging Swainson's Hawk juveniles at the east end of the Centennial Valley and by obliging I mean they were very approachable.
Merlin Magic
Just a short Merlin post today from my Montana trip, a teaser for the images I will soon be posting.
Little Blue Heron Portrait
This is another image I came across last week and wondered why I hadn't processed it because I don't have many Little Blue Heron portraits in my portfolio.
Calling Juvenile Black-necked Stilt
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management area is a great place to see Black-necked Stilts during the breeding season and to see their young later on.
Wilson’s Plover At Sunrise
I was covered in mud after laying in the mudflat to photograph this Wilson's Plover and I didn't mind a bit.
Snowy Egret At Dawn
Snowy Egret at dawn next to the Gulf of Mexico in Pinellas County, Florida
An Afternoon At Red Rock Lakes
Afternoon at Red Rock Lakes I took this image of the Lower Lake at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge while I was settled in at the campground, doing something I don’t always do enough of out in the field, just sitting still and taking it all in. There wasn’t any rush. No chasing light. No scanning nonstop for movement. Just a quiet stretch of time where the land and sky did all the work. The breeze moved through the grasses in front of me, soft and steady, carrying the sounds of birds nearby and from across the lake. I could hear them clearly, but they were scattered, not loud or chaotic. It felt balanced. Calm. The kind of moment where nothing needs to happen for it to be enough. Out over the water, the clouds were putting on their own show. Sunlight slipped in and out, lighting up sections of the hills and then [...]
Birds of the Shore: American Oystercatchers
American Oystercatchers are specialized in that their diet consists of bivalves and they do use that flashy orange bill to pry some of them open.
There Are Some Who Can Live Without Wild Things
I am a part of the wild things even though my outsides might be adorned with the trappings of civilization my heartbeat still tells me I am wild.
Today is World Shorebirds Day
Shorebirds were my bird photography spark birds and they ignited the fire I have within me to go out into the field as often as possible to photograph all wild birds
Ferocious Ferruginous
I think all raptors have a ferocious appearance but this Ferruginous Hawk definitely looked ferocious to me yesterday right after it lifted off from its perch high on a pole.
A Morning Spent At Fort De Soto Six Years Ago Today
Six years ago this morning I was photographing birds at Fort De Soto County Park and I wanted to share a few images and memories of that day.
Leaping Western Meadowlark
I was ready when I thought this Western Meadowlark was going to take flight but instead the meadowlark took a flying leap towards the ground.
Ring-billed Gull in flight over the Gulf
Ring-billed Gulls are fairly common but as with any common bird I believe that they can be uncommonly beautiful.
Sunrise From Another Place And Time
The reason Utah got uglier is that today Crow hunting killing season begins for the first time in the state so the day is already off on a bad start.
The Land Is One Organism
Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.
Fighting Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles
I wonder if these two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks will hang around for the winter, I sure hope so.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird – A Photographic Lifer
Photographing hummingbirds in the wild can be daunting and fast paced, so fast paced that there are times I don't often have time to properly ID them in the field.
Beautiful Pollinators
Yesterday the light wasn't great in the morning but I did get out to take some images an Antelope Island and there were plenty of pollinators out and about.
Sandhill Crane And A Stormy Sky
In March of this year I spent several days photographing Sandhill Cranes in southern Utah where the light and the weather could rapidly change.
Juvenile Black-necked Stilt at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
I had an opportunity to photograph this juvenile Black-necked Stilt as it rested along the auto tour route at the refuge.