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
Brief But Aggressive Encounter Between Pied-Billed Grebes
This aggressive encounter between the two Pied-billed Grebes only lasted a few seconds and if I hadn't been paying attention I would have missed photographing it.
Ring-billed Gulls Flying in a December Snow Storm
The light wasn't great when I photographed these Ring-billed Gulls flying in a December snow storm but I had a great time with the gulls and the rest of the birds.
Immature Rough-legged Hawk – Lift Off, Landing & Lunch
Yesterday morning I was able to photograph an immature Rough-legged Hawk lifting off, landing and lunching at Farmington Bay WMA in northern Utah.
Focusing On Male Common Goldeneyes
I spent fifty-five minutes primarily focusing on male Common Goldeneyes yesterday afternoon and I am very happy with the images I took of these beautiful diving ducks.
California Gull In My Face
It isn't all that often I get to photograph a gull lift off from the water and fly head on directly towards me like this California Gull in winter plumage did a few days ago.
Common Goldeneyes in Northern Utah
The number of birds in a specific location can increase and decrease substantially from one day to the next and that happened with Common Goldeneyes at my local pond in northern Utah when their numbers increased considerably.
Feisty, Pugnacious And Aggressive – Why I Enjoy Photographing American Coots
While observing American Coots I can see that they are feisty, pugnacious and aggressive in their behaviors and they don't seem to take any guff from each other.
I Stopped To Answer The Call Of Nature And Found A Great Horned Owl
I stopped to answer the call of nature and found a Great Horned Owl and to my delight it was a very cooperative owl at that.
Female and Male American Kestrel Comparison
I've seen people struggle with seeing the differences between male and female American Kestrels and I hope this simple comparison will help.
December for Utah and Florida Great Blue Herons – What a Difference
The lives of these Great Blue Herons sure are different when you compare December in Utah to December in Florida.
Mountain Chickadee in Ophir Canyon
Last week while photographing birds in Ophir Canyon I was able to take a short series of photos of a Mountain Chickadee perched in a juniper right after I photographed some bushtits.
Public Lands Under Fire – Just Think About It
Like to fish? Hunt? Watch wildlife? Recreate on public lands? Then think real hard at what the reduction of existing national monuments mean and the precedent that might be set.
Winter Views of California Quail in Northern Utah
I was able to photograph several California Quail in snow yesterday in Davis County, Utah and I was also able to listen to at least one male calling.
Young Short-eared Owl Perched On Barbed Wire In Northern Utah
This morning I am sharing a photo of one of the few young Short-eared Owls I saw this past breeding season here in northern Utah.
Perched male Red-naped Sapsucker in Idaho’s Targhee National Forest
This Red-naped Sapsucker was perched on a dead aspen branch near the nesting cavity where I photographed a chick being fed by the adults in mid July.
Nemesis Birds – Bushtit Photos
Bushtits are a nemesis bird for me, I have only had a few opportunities to photograph these tiny, frenetic birds and I have yet to get high quality images of them.
Juvenile Vesper Sparrow in Southwest Montana
I have seen very few juvenile Vesper Sparrows and I have just a handful of images of them so when I spot one in good light I certainly want to do my best to photograph it.
Male Rough-legged Hawk In Flight Over Box Elder County, Utah
For several weeks now Rough-legged Hawks have been migrating into northern Utah and showing up in locations where I have photographed them for years.
Great Egret Landing In A Lagoon With Prey
I don't often see wading birds in flight with large prey in their bills so in April of 2009 I was excited to see a Great Egret landing in a lagoon with a large fish in its bill.
American Tree Sparrows Galore
I'm seeing more American Tree Sparrows than I've seen since I moved to Utah in 2009 and I hope that means they had a very successful breeding season in 2017.
Treasury of American Goldfinches at Bear River MBR
Last week I found a small flock of American Goldfinches foraging on the auto tour route at Bear River MBR and I was able to capture a few images of them before they took off in a rush.
Double-crested Cormorant After Surfacing
Last December there were several Double-crested Cormorants hanging around my local pond here in northern Utah and I had a great time photographing them.
For The Love Of All That’s Birdy, There Is No Such Thing As A Seagull
One of the things that make my feathers ruffle though is when I see people post a bird photo and call it a "seagull" because there is no such thing as a seagull.
Wondering How the Lone Surviving Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile Is Doing
I've been thinking a lot about the lone surviving Red-tailed Hawk from the nest that blew down because of strong winds earlier in June.
I Spotted My First of Season Common Merganser
While at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge two days ago I spotted my first of the season Common Merganser from the auto tour route.
Bear River MBR Clouds, Marshes, Sunshine and an Immature Western Grebe
Yesterday morning found me at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a wild and wonderful place that I am very thankful for because of the birds there, the spectacular scenery and the refuge I find within its boundaries.
Drake Mallards Bathing and Splashing
After bathing the Mallards lift up, flap their wings and shake the water off and I have also noticed them repeat the process of bathing several times in succession. Bathe, shake, flap.
Wood Stork Foraging in a Gulf Coast Lagoon
As the Wood Stork foraged for it breakfast it kept an eye on me as I sat low and very still in the lagoon.
Resting Pied-billed Grebe on Silky Looking Water
The Pied-billed Grebe was a bit too far away to take frame filling images of it but I was okay with that because I feel that the visual appearance of the silky water is just as important as the bird in these photos.
Immature Red-tailed Hawk Taking Flight In Northern Utah
Yesterday was one of those days where I thought I would come home and not have any images worth keeping until I spotted an immature Red-tailed Hawk perched on a tree near the road.