My Daily Story Timeline
Every day, 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 daily 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
Gray Flycatcher Perched In Fragrant Sumac
As it turns out this flycatcher gave me a wonderful behavioral clue that made identifying it a little easier for me because I watched it wag its tail slowly up and down repeatedly while perched which Gray Flycatchers are known to do.
Swallow Quartet – Bank, Barn, Cliff And Tree Swallows At Bear River MBR
I was glad to be able to photograph Bank, Barn, Cliff and Tree Swallows perched on top of a stand of phragmites near the auto tour route on the refuge in early morning light.
Immature Swainson’s Hawk, Golden Light And Common Sunflowers
Two days ago I was able to photograph an immature Swainson's Hawk in golden light perched on a fence post that was surrounded by bright yellow common sunflowers. Yes, I was blissed out.
Rare Brown Pelican At Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
The Brown Pelican didn't do much while I had it in my viewfinder and I probably took way too many photos of it but I don't care, it was unique to see here in land-locked Utah and the setting of the Bear River was definitely different than the many times I have photographed this species back East.
Adult White-crowned Sparrow In Rabbitbrush – Small in The Frame
Sometimes the colors of in a photo I have taken are what pleases me and draws me in even if my subject is small in the frame, in this case my subject was an adult White-crowned Sparrow.
Coyote Searching For Prey In The Wasatch Mountains
If I hadn't been looking for birds I wouldn't have spotted this coyote searching for prey yesterday near a creek in a canyon which made it my best subject of the day.
Mirage As Seen From Bear River MBR Auto Tour Route
Whatever this mirage was, it got my attention and I felt I had to stop and take photos of this naturally occurring optical phenomena, I mean I don't see things like this everyday!
Ruby-crowned Kinglets – Challenging Subjects
Ruby-crowned Kinglets always seem to be on the move and blend into their habitat well which makes them challenging subjects to photograph. I love the challenge of photographing small birds though.
Photographing Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Siblings
I spent 26 minutes yesterday photographing juvenile Red-tailed Hawk siblings and had a blast watching them preen, lift off, flying, scratching, resting and landing.
Female Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly High In The Wasatch Mountains
Last year I saw an abundance of Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies in the Wasatch Mountains, it seemed that I could easily spot them flitting about or nectaring on thistles but this year I noticed that these and the numbers of other species of butterflies are way down in numbers
Photographing A Male Downy Woodpecker In A Chokecherry Tree
When I noticed the Downy Woodpecker moving towards the front part of the tree I changed my focus to it and waited to see if he would come out into the open and when it did I was ready to takes images of him.
An American Mink In The Wasatch Mountains
I was excited to have been able to take a decent image of an American Mink when I found this one in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday morning.
Peek-a-boo Rock Squirrel Close Up In A Serviceberry Bush
In mid August I was attempting to get close up photos of a Rock Squirrel that was actively feeding on serviceberries in the Wasatch Mountains and two things happened that ruined my chances for better images.
A Few Moments With A Least Chipmunk
I spent a few moments watching and photographing a Least Chipmunk yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains and tried to savor every second I had with it.
Cooling Winter Views Of The Great Salt Lake
I live in such a beautiful state and even though birds are my primary focus as subjects the natural world that surrounds me is endlessly fascinating, stunning and I hope I never lose the sense of wonder I feel when I see it.
Immature Northern Flicker In The Wasatch Mountains
This immature Northern Flicker was one of the last birds I spotted and photographed three days ago while up in the Wasatch Mountains and I was happy that she stayed long enough for me to take a nice series of images of her.
Calling Black-capped Chickadee Perched In The Open
Two days ago this Black-capped Chickadee and several other others were moving through a willow thicket in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains where I had been focusing on photographing warblers, tanagers, and vireos.
Yellow Warbler In Willows
When this hatch year Yellow Warbler popped out into an open area of a willow thicket in a beam of sunlight I was happy to take its photo.
Nemesis Birds – American Goshawks
My luck with American Goshawks has been horrible and because of that they have earned the distinction of being a nemesis for me.
Focusing On MacGillivray’s Warblers In The Wasatch Mountains
I'm seeing more MacGillivray's Warblers this season than I have in previous years but I am still challenged by how quickly these warblers move and by how they can seem to disappear so quickly.
Cedar Waxwings – Perched And On The Wing
I had a nice time photographing Cedar Waxwings yesterday morning as they perched in willows next to a creek and while they were on the wing catching insects in the Wasatch Mountains.
Juvenile Dark-eyed Junco High In The Uinta Mountains
I was in the high Uinta Mountains near Washington Lake when I spotted this young Dark-eyed Junco and I was able to take a few images of it before it flew away.
Pre-migration Lazuli Buntings Fattening Up On Fruit
One year ago today I was up in the Wasatch Mountains photographing pre-migration Lazuli Buntings fattening on the fruits of serviceberries and most of them were either immature or female buntings.
Photographing Some Of The Birds I Love In The Wasatch Mountains
As a bird photographer I'm feeling a sense of urgency now that I didn't feel a few weeks ago because as I watch the migrants in the Wasatch Mountains getting ready for their long journeys I know that my time for photographing them this year is quickly running out.
Wasatch Mountain Chipmunk Acrobatics
I had fun yesterday photographing a few chipmunks up in the Wasatch Mountains including this chippy performing acrobatics while trying to get to thistle seeds.
Molting American Goldfinch Feasting On Musk Thistle Seeds
One year ago today I went up into the Wasatch Mountains and for about three minutes I photographed a molting American Goldfinch feasting on Musk Thistle seeds.
Poof: Utah’s Merlins Could Disappear
In my experience Merlins are already hard to find in the state of Utah but because of our climate crisis they could become even more difficult to locate or they might even disappear from the state altogether.
Picture This: Utah Could Lose Our Mountain Bluebirds
Our current climate crisis could mean Utah might lose our Mountain Bluebirds and it is not just us, it is Idaho, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming that will also be affected if action isn't taken now.
Imagine Utah Without California Gulls
Ah, Mia, it is just a bird. No, it isn't just a bird. Because California Gulls aren't the only birds at risk of disappearing from the skies, shorelines and waters of Utah.
Two-striped Grasshopper Photographed on Showy Milkweed
I researched Utah's grasshoppers and found out that this is a Two-striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus) and even though I may have seen this species of grasshopper before it is a photographic lifer for me.