Adult White-crowned Sparrow perched on top of a Greasewood – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
It sure seems like I have been focusing on sparrows a lot this fall and I am okay with that, I enjoy photographing little brown birds because they are challenging and I really like sparrows.
Yesterday morning I photographed American Goldfinches, House Finches and White-crowned Sparrows that were busy feeding on greasewood seeds. Greasewood is an important food source for birds and small mammals here in northern Utah. Greasewood can be toxic to livestock; sheep in particular, because of sodium and potassium oxalates that are found in the leaves but that doesn’t seem to bother the birds that eat the seeds which is probably due to the fact that the seeds contain less of those toxins.
I have no idea what the pinkish area in the background is in the upper right of this frame, it may be a vehicle in a parking lot. I’m not sure if I like it or dislike it being in the frame.
White-crowned Sparrow adult feeding on Greasewood seeds – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This White-crowned Sparrow adult perched on a greasewood and proceeded to extract the seeds from the fruit with its bill. I wish the sparrow had stayed on this perch a little longer than it did because I liked this setting.
The white fluffy stuff attached to the greasewoods in these photos are not from the greasewoods, they are fluffy seeds from phragmites that get stuck on the shrubs a few days earlier when the wind was blowing hard.
Adult White-crowned Sparrow lifting off from a Greasewood – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I was happy to be able to capture one of the adult White-crowned Sparrows lifting off from a greasewood just before I headed home. Even though my shutter speed was high it wasn’t high enough to freeze the motion of the sparrow’s wings. Oh well, being frustrated with small things like this seems to come with the territory of being a bird photographer.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to view more of my White-crowned Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.
Lovely. Spent some time today watching the Sparrows and other LBJs while drying dogs after grooming. Also saw my first Robin in a long time. Life is good. 🙂
Just beautiful. Hooray for lbjs.
I love how the sparrows markings play against the muted background. I also agree with the motion blur… it adds to a sense of the bird caught in flight. And, of course, the detail is wonderful. Thanks Mia.
Gorgeous shots Mia !!
Three beautiful images…love these little guys!!!
Mia, a little bit of motion blur in a flight shot is a good thing if the bird’s head is sharp! I have this discussion with my photographer friends all of the time. I find images that totally freeze the bird in flight to be great most of the time but sometimes they look a bit unreal. Your image of the sparrow lifting off is perfect.
Great shots Mia!