{"id":116937,"date":"2023-10-12T04:42:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T10:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=116937"},"modified":"2024-01-20T03:53:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T10:53:27","slug":"peekaboo-chipping-sparrow-in-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/12\/peekaboo-chipping-sparrow-in-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Peekaboo Chipping Sparrow In Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago in the Wasatch Mountains, I had this Chipping Sparrow in my viewfinder long enough to only take 10 images. I liked this photo the most.<\/p>\n

\"PeekabooPeekaboo Chipping Sparrow \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The setting is cluttered, but the light was lovely, and I felt that the peekaboo look I got from the sparrow was endearing.<\/p>\n

Quite often in the fall, this is the typical sighting I have of this species. During the spring, I see Chipping Sparrows more out in the open because the males are singing to attract mates. In autumn, they appear to be a little more secretive and skulky.<\/p>\n

This Chipping Sparrow<\/span><\/a> is in nonbreeding plumage, and she or he was silent. I did hear Chipping Sparrows while I was back East this spring but wasn’t able to photograph them because I didn’t have camera gear with me during that part of my journey.<\/p>\n

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I wish I had been able to spend more time photographing this sparrow high in the mountains, but two e-bikers rode by and scared it off.<\/p>\n

Birds were harder for me to find than they had been in September, but because I listened for birds, I was able to find a nice mixed flock of them. The birds were all foraging in a clump of intertwined chokecherries and hawthorns. I rely on my auditory skills to locate birds as frequently as I do my eyesight during some parts of the year, and fall is one of those times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Very soon, this Chipping Sparrow and other lingering migrant birds will be winging their way to warmer climates for the coldest months of the year. Since I didn’t get to spend much time with them as I normally do, I will feel their absence even more deeply during this winter.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Chipping Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few days ago in the Wasatch Mountains, I had this Chipping Sparrow in my viewfinder long enough to only take 10 images. I liked this photo the most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,3541,4594,26,773],"tags":[4004,970,6577,3940,3543,4620,6583,4069,4246,14460,4104,855,4195],"class_list":["post-116937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-chipping-sparrows","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-branches","tag-canyon","tag-chipping-sparrow","tag-fall","tag-leaves","tag-mountains","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-peekaboo","tag-perched","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/chipping-sparrow-fall-nonbreeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-2777.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-uq5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":73504,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/09\/06\/immature-chipping-sparrow-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":116937,"position":0},"title":"Immature Chipping Sparrow In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A few days ago I was able to photograph an immature Chipping Sparrow that landed on a wire fence next to a dusty road in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Chipping Sparrow on a fence, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-barb-wire-mia-mcpherson-0013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-barb-wire-mia-mcpherson-0013.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Chipping Sparrow perched on a Chokecherry branch, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-9943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-9943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-9943.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-9943.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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McPherson","date":"August 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed my first of season immature Chipping Sparrow on my last trip into the mountains as it perched on a thin dead willow branch.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Chipping Sparrow perched in willows, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-branch-mia-mcpherson-0943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-branch-mia-mcpherson-0943.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/chipping-sparrow-immature-branch-mia-mcpherson-0943.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 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McPherson","date":"May 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chipping Sparrow with a tiny insect in its bill, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chipping-sparrow-adult-on-sage-mia-mcpherson-3128.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chipping-sparrow-adult-on-sage-mia-mcpherson-3128.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/chipping-sparrow-adult-on-sage-mia-mcpherson-3128.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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