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
Winter Has Arrived Along With Many Opportunities To Photograph Birds
When the weather turns colder, the clouds gather, and the snow falls I still have plenty of birds to photograph here in northern Utah.
The Winds Of Change Affect My Access To Some Mountain Canyons
I always feel a sense of sadness when I can't get to those mountain canyons and the birds that live there all year long when they close those gates for the winter.
An Eye For National Bison Day 2020
Today bison are being reintroduced to lands that they were extirpated from centuries ago and for bison lovers that is cause for celebration of this iconic mammal.
How An American Oystercatcher Ruined A New Pair Of Pants
Today's post is about an American Oystercatcher image I took in 2009 at Egmont Key in Pinellas County, Florida, and the story behind it.
Male Short-eared Owl Perched At The Edge Of A Sagebrush Sea
I am always looking for Short-eared Owls in northern Utah because they are year round residents here but they are nomadic which means I don't always see them.
An Immature Light Morph Ferruginous Hawk In The West Desert
The highlight of my morning yesterday was when I spotted an immature light morph Ferruginous Hawk perched on a cedar post in the West Desert.
Adult Female Northern Harrier On The Wing Over Farmington Bay WMA
It has been too long since I have had a Northern Harrier in my viewfinder although I'm now excited because I know that fall and winter are great seasons for me to find and photograph them.
Male Cassin’s Finch Eating a Mountain Mahogany Seed
This male Cassin's Finch did pop out into the open with a mahogany seed in his bill and even though he was in the shade I took a few photos of him.
Brewer’s Blackbird Males Are Colorful In The Right Light
In the right light Brewer's Blackbird males are very colorful because their feathers glow with blue, green, and purple iridescence.
Common Loon In An Uncommon Location
Bird photography was a little slow at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning until I spotted a Common Loon floating on the Bear River.
Drake Gadwalls Are Elegant Dabbling Ducks
I don't have nearly enough Gadwall photos in my portfolios and I honestly don't know why that is the case since they are year round residents here in northern Utah.
Male Lesser Goldfinches And Common Sunflower Seeds
Yesterday opportunity knocked when several Lesser Goldfinches flew in to knosh on wild sunflowers seeds near a road at Farmington Bay WMA.
Dark-eyed Junco And Rabbitbrush
One of the Dark-eyed Juncos that I had in my viewfinder was perched on top of a rabbitbrush with seeds and fluff in its bill that turned its head towards me.
Mountain Chickadees – Listening For Their Songs And Calls
I listen for birds everywhere I go. Their calls and songs help me to locate them so I can photograph and observe them as they go about their lives.
Calling American Coot Adult Portrait
This adult American Coot may look like it is screaming but in reality it is simply calling out because another bird got close to it next to the shoreline of a small pond.
Some Shorebirds Migrate Late And They Are Okay
Being concerned about shorebirds in harsh winter weather isn't unusual but despite their delicate appearance these shorebirds are tough.
I Am Never NOT Looking For Birds
It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, I am never not looking for birds.
Least Chipmunk Grooming Session
These five images of a Least Chipmunk grooming session are some of the last photos of chipmunks I took high in the Wasatch Mountains in 2020.
Immature Great Blue Heron – With And Without The Hand Of Man
Is one of these immature Great Blue Heron images more visually appealing than the other? That depends on the personal tastes of the person viewing them.
Tundra Swans Are Showing Up In Northern Utah
I can barely wait to hear and see my first of season Tundra Swans and to see them on the wing over the marshes that surround the Great Salt Lake.
Photographing Autumn American Pipits
Last year by this date I had taken hundreds of photos of American Pipits. So far this autumn I have taken Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch.
On The Lookout For Rough-Legged Hawks
I'm hoping that this week I'll be able to spot my first of the season Rough-legged Hawks and that I'll be able to get photos of them too. Fingers are crossed!
Autumn Pine Siskins – 2020 Is An Irruption Year
My Facebook timeline is buzzing with people posting photos of large numbers of Pine Siskins at their bird feeders across the country.
Glowing Snowy Egret In A Ray Of Morning Light
The stark contrast of the white plumage of the Snowy Egret against the darkness of shadows on the vegetation and water made the egret appear to glow.
Adult Bald Eagle At The Edge Of A Forest
I'm not sure why I like this Bald Eagle image as much as I do but I do know that while I am looking at it I feel calm.
Barbed Wire Death Trap – Western Meadowlark
Over the past month I thought about whether I wanted to share images and tell the story of this Western Meadowlark that lost its life because of a barbed wire death trap and finally decided that the story needed to be told.
Foraging Autumn Bushtits In Northern Utah
Seeing and photographing the Bushtits in northern Utah was a gift that I didn't expect yesterday and I am grateful to finally have images of them that I like.
September Warbling Vireo
This Warbling Vireo wasn't the last vireo I saw before they migrated but it was the last one where I was able to take photos of this species out in the open this year.
West Desert Ferruginous Hawks – Light And Dark Morphs
The past couple of weeks on some of my journeys to the West Desert of Utah I have been able to have a few long distance views of Ferruginous Hawks and that has me excited.
Dark-eyed Juncos And Seasonal Changes
One of the seasonal changes I look for in autumn is when I see that the Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.