Spring Chipping Sparrow in breeding plumage – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Two days ago I had a Chipping Sparrow in breeding plumage perched on sage at the edge of a forest in my viewfinder for a few seconds. I found the sparrow because it was singing plus I recognized its song. I was driving slowly and was able to stop close to the bird because I was paying attention to the sights and sounds around me.
The sagebrush that the Chipping sparrow was perched on was dying because it was recently uprooted by road grading equipment. Sagebrush is slow growing and long lived and I do wish that the road graders were more careful about uprooting these shrubs because they are an important food source for birds and animals in the Great Basin.
I liked the great look I was getting from the sparrow so I stayed focused on it even though I felt sad about the dying sage it was perched on.
Chipping Sparrow with a tiny insect in its bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 640, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
A few frames after I took the first photo I noticed that the Chipping Sparrow had plucked a tiny winged insect from the sage leaves by its head. The insect is too small for me to tell what it was before the sparrow ate it.
I find Chipping Sparrows in my front yard, high in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountain Ranges, in the foothills and higher elevations of the sky island mountains of the West Desert and other locations during spring and fall migration.
Moments after these photos were taken a Pine Siskin flew into the sage and chased the sparrow away at which point I started focusing on taking images of the siskin. I will share those images soon.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Chipping Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.
The composition of Sparrows colors playing against the dark green background is absolutely beautiful. And the detail and eye contact you captured – is equally so. Thanks Mia.
Beautiful images. Haley had a yard-full this year eating the dandelion seeds in her lawn, she had a lot of both!
Sweet…👍😝
What a beautiful moment. Sad, and beautiful simultaneously.
Great composition and detailed photographs!
We only get to see gangs of these handsome sparrows during migration.
Lovely poses and fine detail in your images. Yes, it is sad that the old sagebrush was killed unnecessarily. We have had several Chipping Sparrows in our yard the past couple of weeks. They are singing vigorously and I assume that some will stay here to breed.