Brewer’s Sparrow perched on top of a Fragrant Sumac – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Two days ago I had a six sparrow morning in northern Utah but my photos of the Chipping Sparrows I saw were not up to par so I am only sharing five of those species this morning. I decided to share the photos in alphabetical order this morning instead of by a time sequence.
First up, the Brewer’s Sparrows were the most numerous of the sparrows I photographed that morning.
Brewer’s Sparrows are migratory and I’ve been seeing them on the move for at least the past week up in the Wasatch Mountains and now down in the valley.
Brewer’s Sparrow on a sumac perch – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I had some nice opportunities with Brewer’s two mornings ago especially with this individual because it perched out in the open on top of a Fragrant Sumac with a lovely background.
Adult Brewer’s Sparrow in smoky, diffused light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Then it moved a little closer and lower which meant I had some of the sumac leaves that are just barely starting to change color in the frame. After the cold front that moved in last night I expect those sumac leaves will change color even more rapidly now.
Messy looking Brewer’s Sparrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Then I had another, much messier looking, Brewer’s Sparrow in my viewfinder. It looks likes this Brewer’s is still undergoing a seasonal molt. Or perhaps it stayed up too late.
I loved the perch, the over the shoulder look and the great eye contact I had with this sparrow so the messy feathers don’t bother me at all.
Lincoln’s Sparrow adult peeking out from a sumac – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Then I spotted a Lincoln’s Sparrow trying to sneak out onto a thick branch that has some water down below it. It didn’t move all the way out into the open but I photograph this shy species so infrequently that I took this photo “just because” I could.
Lincoln’s Sparrow adult perched on a thick branch – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Ten minutes later a Lincoln’s Sparrow appeared out in the open on the same branch and I took a short series of images of it.
Just the week before I’d seen a Lincoln’s Sparrow in the Wasatch Mountains but it was way out in the distance, across a creek and buried in some branches on the creek bank. Getting photos of this Lincoln’s Sparrow helped to soothe the frustration I felt with the one where I only had long distance views of it.
Savannah Sparrow adult perched in wild rose – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
When this gorgeous Savannah Sparrow showed up on a nearby wild rose bush I could barely contain my joy at seeing it. I’d seen and heard quite a few Savannah Sparrows this year at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge but wasn’t able to photograph them. Having this one in my viewfinder was a thrill.
Perky Savannah Sparrow in a wild rose – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
The wild rose, reddish rose hips and the leaves of the rose seem to make this Savannah Sparrow pop out on my screen at home.
Adult Vesper Sparrow perched in a Fragrant Sumac – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
I also saw several Vesper Sparrows high on the cliff face which were too far away for quality photos but this one individual showed up on top of a sumac and posed there for a bit. I noticed that the Vesper appeared to be eating the tiny sumac berries but I didn’t have a clear view of its face or eyes when I saw that action. Maybe I’ll get lucky before the Vespers leave and get a photo of one with a berry in its bill.
Curious young White-crowned Sparrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
And finally, I saw a few adult and immature White-crowned Sparrows mixed in with the other sparrows in the area. I couldn’t get a clear shot of one of the adults I saw which was frustrating. The immature White-crowned Sparrows on the other hand popped into view and my viewfinder quite a few times.
Immature White-crowned Sparrow perched in a fork of branches – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, +0.7 EV, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
And I took photos of them whenever I had at least a partially clear view of them.
I had a great time photographing all of the sparrow species I saw two days ago and I could have stayed with them all morning long. I might do just that later this week.
I know some people think of sparrows as just little brown birds, I don’t. I am fascinated by them all. I guess you could say I’m mad about sparrows.
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
P.S., sorry if my title gave you an earworm this morning. 🙂
Click here to view more of my sparrow photos.
Lovely pictures Mia!
So happy to see the lovely LBJs get their due by such a talented photographer! Sparrows are such beautiful little birds.
Wow! i am impressed! You know a true birder when they get into ID-ing sparrows. 🙂
Lucky, lucky you. We have no native sparrows in Australia and our imported House Sparrows are in decline. Which I mourn.
Wonderful shots with your usual excellent detail!
As always…a wonderful group of pics highlighted by your excellent captions. I didn’t know there were so many different species of sparrows. The sparrows [I think] I see around here [San Diego] look like Brewer’s or possibly Lincoln’s; then again, maybe neither. In any event, your shots are terrific. Thanks Mia.
Beautiful shots. I miss seeing the House Sparrows though. But they will thrive, bless them, charming, expressive birds.
What a Happy Sparrow morning your had. I had to look up the correct lyrics because it got stuck in my head as “sparrows” instead of “saffron”.
Wonderful sparrow series, you were fortunate to see so many.
Me too! What a feast of sparrows! Thank you.
Subtle beauty – lovely!