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
Downy Woodpecker Close Up In The Wasatch Mountains
Who knew that Downy Woodpeckers have eyes the color of a fine Cognac? I didn't until I took this Downy Woodpecker close up in the Wasatch Mountains one month ago.
Over the Shoulder Look from a House Wren – Plus an Illusion
There are times I enjoy finding hidden faces in clouds, rocks, trees or other natural features and I saw one in this House Wren photo.
Blue Elderberry – Native Food Source For Birds, Wildlife And People Too
Another non-bird post this morning about Blue Elderberry shrubs which are a native food source for birds, wildlife and people too. I've photograph this particular Blue Elderberry up in a Wasatch Mountain canyon for several years.
Juvenile Mountain Bluebird Perched On Sagebrush – Small In The Frame
This juvenile Mountain Bluebird was hunting for food its own, perching on sagebrush and then diving to the ground after prey.
Drake Redhead Photos Taken in Different Lighting Conditions
I enjoy viewing the image of the drake Redhead on the snowy January morning just as much as the drake Redhead photo on a clear February afternoon, they both show the ducks doing what ducks do no matter what the weather is doing.
Female Great Spangled Fritillary Nectaring on Musk Thistle in the Wasatch Mountains
Last week while I was up in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains I spotted a female Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly nectaring on a Musk Thistle so I felt I had to take photos of she sipped the nectar of the flower.
Least Chipmunk Eating Utah Serviceberry Berries
I'm always happy to photograph the other things I see while I am out photographing birds and that includes cute critters like this Least Chipmunk nibbling on the fruits of the Utah Serviceberry shrub.
American Goldfinch Perched on a dried Musk Thistle Blossom & Short Video Clip
Today I am keeping it short and sweet and sharing one photo of a male American Goldfinch perched on a dried Musk Thistle blossom plus a short video clip I took of him as he lifted off and flew away.
Lark Sparrow With Droopy Wings On A Hot Summer Morning
Last week while I was photographing some Lark Sparrows in northern Utah I took images of this one who had droopy wings because the sparrow was hot. I was hot, I know how the sparrow felt.
Juvenile Western Kingbirds in Box Elder County, Utah
Juvenile Western Kingbirds may look sweet like this one does perched on a fence but they can be rather pushy when it comes to demanding food from their parents and they are also quite noisy too while they are begging.
First Winter Drake Common Goldeneye Close Up & Close To Home
This first winter Common Goldeneye drake had no issues with getting close to me as I photographed it on a chilly December afternoon.
Blooming Common Mullein In The Wasatch Mountains
As a child I remember plucking the leaves of Common Mullein just to touch them because the leaves were as soft as well worn flannel, their yellow flowers didn't interest me much but the soft leaves sure did.
Singing Vesper Sparrow in a Wasatch Mountain Canyon
For several weeks I repeatedly saw and heard a Vesper Sparrow in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains and early in July I was able to take some decent images of it as it sang on a metal post.
Crappy Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron in Flight Photo
I've taken my share of crappy photos during the time I have been focused on photographing birds but this photo of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron crapping in flight may be the crappiest of them all.
Male Flame Skimmer Dragonfly – Libellula saturata
I caught a flash of orange that drew my eye and watched as this male Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) dragonfly landed on a branch not far from where I had parked my Jeep.
Incredible Phalarope Migration Happening Now at the Great Salt Lake
Red-necked and Wilson's Phalaropes have started their fall migration and one of the places where they gather in large numbers is the Great Salt Lake where they show up in the tens of thousands to feed and rest before continuing their journey.
Female American Robin in a Mountain Canyon
Yesterday in a Wasatch Mountain canyon I found a cooperative female American Robin resting on a perch on a hillside covered with sagebrush.
Sibling Red-tailed Hawk Juveniles Perched & On The Wing
Back in March of this year I started watching and photographing a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the process of building their nest on the face of a high cliff, these two juveniles are the results of the hard work of that pair of hawks.
My Photographic Journal Featured in the University of Montana’s Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Magazine
I typically don't announce publication of my work on my website but I am so honored to have my work included in Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone e-Magazine that I decided to share this with my family, friends and all of the people who view my site.
Head On Eight-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly – Other Things With Wings
Two days ago at Glover Pond there were several Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonflies that I aimed my lens at and of those I liked this head on shot the most.
Great Salt Lake Brine Flies – Important Food Source For California Gulls
Brine flies that live in the Great Salt Lake are an important food source for California Gulls and watching the gulls feed on the flies is fascinating as they use several techniques to catch them.
Fritillary Butterfly – Other Things With Wings
I'm going to ask for help later on today from bugguide.net with the identification of this fritillary butterfly. I don't normally have to ask for identification assistance but I need it for this other thing with wings.
Not So Mellow Yellow Warbler Males
Yellow Warblers are anything but mellow instead they are frenetic, hyperactive, frenzied, energetic and move so quickly they sometimes make me dizzy trying to track them with my long lens.
Photographic Frustrations – Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest
One year ago today I experienced one of the two most frustrating days in my entire time of being a bird photographer while photographing Red-naped Sapsuckers in the Targhee National Forest of Idaho.
Spiders Of Antelope Island – They Aren’t So Creepy
Every year in August Antelope Island has a SpiderFest where there are walks and talks about the spiders of that live on the island, I love photographing them and they really aren't so creepy as they seem to be.
Refreshing Winter Scenery and the Tundra Swans of Bear River MBR
Sometimes when the summer heat gets to me I look back at images I have taken during the winter and quite often I find those images to be taken at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and the birds that I find there.
Juvenile Mountain Bluebird Learning To Hunt On Its Own
Last month I had a few opportunities to photograph juvenile Mountain Bluebirds in a Wasatch Mountain canyon while they were being fed by adults and as they learned to hunt on their own.
Male American Goldfinch Feasting On Musk Thistle Seeds
A flash of yellow, black and white on a purple flower immediately drew my eyes to a male American Goldfinch feasting on the seeds of a Musk Thistle so I stopped, turned my Jeep off and proceeded to photograph the bird.
An “Ear-full” of Cedar Waxwing Photographs
Since a flock of waxwings can be called an “ear-full” of waxwings I thought I'd share a group of Cedar Waxwing photos I have taken over the last month in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City.
Yellow Warbler Fledgling Foraging On Its Own
Imagine moving down a gravel road and seeing just a tiny flash of movement and light-colored plumage in a stand of green vegetation and trying to figure out if it is a bright leaf in the breeze or a fledgling Yellow Warbler in a split second.