Song Sparrow in early morning light – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I love to photograph all birds and that includes sparrows. Some of the sparrows I find here in Utah are migratory and some are year round residents. Song Sparrows are among the sparrow species I see throughout all four seasons and they seem to handle the harsh winters of Utah as well as they do the intense summer heat.
I photographed this Song Sparrow as it perched on phragmites one frosty morning at Farmington Bay WMA last month not long after the sun rose over the Wasatch Mountains. This is about as “golden” as the light gets there because the mountains block the best of the morning light for a little while after dawn.
Alert adult Song Sparrow, Farmington Bay WMA – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
The Song Sparrow became alert when another sparrow moved in the phragmites near it and raised the crown feathers on its head. Not long after this photo was taken this sparrow dove into the phrags.
Song Sparrow in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA – Nikon D500, f5.6, 1/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This photo, taken a few minutes later, may or may not be the same Song Sparrow because there were several in the same area of the marsh.
I’ve seen this sparrow species in mountain canyons, the marshes surrounding the Great Salt Lake, forest edges, prairies, farmer’s fields, grasslands, sagebrush steppes and out in the foothills of the sky island mountains of the West Desert. I probably see Song Sparrows more often and in more habitats than any other sparrow species here in Utah. I am delighted by that.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Song Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.
It was a photo of a song sparrow, which I took with a point & shoot camera, that got me into nature photography!
These tiny birds are full of an alluring drama when they are calling out there song, which is what I captured in that first photo!
Thanks for this wonderful post!
Litttle brown jobs they might be, but they have a subtle charm all of their own.
Thank you.
Love that characteristic upright posture, the alertness of the bird in the second photo. Such a clear photo. Thanks for sharing! A most common sparrow here too, and close to the first to arrive in the yard in the spring.
Cool pics,. mia
Beautiful photos make even a very common bird quite interesting.