{"id":11778,"date":"2013-12-12T03:45:42","date_gmt":"2013-12-12T10:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=11778"},"modified":"2025-07-25T09:59:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T14:59:26","slug":"white-crowned-sparrows-with-frost-and-fluff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/12\/12\/white-crowned-sparrows-with-frost-and-fluff\/","title":{"rendered":"White-crowned Sparrows with Frost and Fluff"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile White-crowned Sparrow landing and knocking frost off of Rabbitbrush<\/span><\/p>\n

On some winter mornings\u00a0at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area\u00a0everything can be covered in hoar frost after the nightly lake fog envelops\u00a0the marshes. The grasses and shrubs\u00a0bend because they are\u00a0heavily coated and\u00a0every branch on the trees appear to be covered in delicate white frost flowers.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile White-crowned Sparrow with a frost covered seed<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the food items that White-crowned Sparrows depend on during the harsh winters in Utah are the fluffy seeds of the Rabbitbrush that can be covered in hoar frost. It isn’t unusual to see sparrows there with frost on their bills as they forage for food in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"HoarHoar frost and a White-crowned Sparrow juvenile<\/span><\/p>\n

I see more juvenile White-crowned Sparrows than I do the\u00a0flashy adults but I enjoy the subtle colors and patterns of the juveniles just as much. I like to watch them scurrying around on the ground or flitting from bush to bush.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile White-crowned Sparrow foraging on Rabbitbrush<\/span><\/p>\n

I think that seeing them on the fluff and frost covered Rabbitbrush is my favorite though because I like all the soft textures in my viewfinder which contrast with how hard winters are here on these small birds.<\/p>\n

\"White-crownedWhite-crowned Sparrow juvenile on Rabbitbrush<\/span><\/p>\n

White-crowned Sparrows are tougher than they look and I appreciate that about them. When there are no air boats revving their engines and no vehicles going by I can hear their soft chirps even when I can’t see them and I want to stop to see if they will come up to the tops of the bushes and into the sunlight.<\/p>\n

\"JuvenileJuvenile White-crowned Sparrow with a seed on its bill<\/span><\/p>\n

Even when there are other birds around I am always looking for a sparrow to make an appearance up close so that I can photograph them. They move\u00a0quickly so I need to do the same if I want sharp images and they are also unpredictable and I can never tell which direction they might\u00a0take.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn alert White-crowned Sparrow juvenile<\/span><\/p>\n

Those challenges make it even more delightful for me when I get a series of sharp images of the White-crowned Sparrows<\/span><\/a> in various poses with the frost and fluff.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

One of the food items that White-crowned Sparrows depend on during the harsh winters in Utah are the fluffy seeds of the Rabbitbrush that can be covered in hoar frost. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1022,697,26,356],"tags":[3983,4201,4067,4071,4289,855,4195,4327,373,4256],"class_list":["post-11778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","category-white-crowned-sparrows","tag-frost","tag-hoar-frost","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-rabbitbrush","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-white-crowned-sparrow","tag-winter","tag-zonotrichia-leucophrys"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-immature-mia-mcpherson-8438.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-33Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17311,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/12\/11\/so-where-is-the-snow\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":0},"title":"So Where Is The Snow?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"So, is this the year that the Grinch stole winter?","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White-crowned Sparrow juvenile on a cold winter day in northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-8521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-8521.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-8521.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-8521.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3922,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/12\/30\/juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow-friday-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":1},"title":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow ~ Friday Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 30, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"White-crowned Sparrows can be seen foraging in the grasses, rabbitbrush and sagebrush that grow along the edge of the road.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow perched in frost-covered Rabbitbrush near the causeway to Antelope Island State Park in Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-1703.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13726,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/21\/white-crowned-sparrow-perched-on-a-frosty-shrub\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":2},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow perched on a frosty shrub","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I like the setting contained in this image with a frost covered branches of a shrub with reddish bark that the White-crowned Sparrow perched on close to the entrance to Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female White-crowned Sparrow perched on a frosty shrub, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-farmington-mia-mcpherson-5541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-farmington-mia-mcpherson-5541.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-farmington-mia-mcpherson-5541.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-farmington-mia-mcpherson-5541.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16000,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/09\/27\/looking-ahead-to-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":3},"title":"Looking Ahead To Winter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"We catch up and share stories of birds we saw in the warmer months and reveal the journeys we have been on.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lesser Scaup drake, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/lesser-scaup-male-mia-mcpherson-0566.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/lesser-scaup-male-mia-mcpherson-0566.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/lesser-scaup-male-mia-mcpherson-0566.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/lesser-scaup-male-mia-mcpherson-0566.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6723,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/07\/song-sparrows-in-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":4},"title":"Song Sparrows In Winter Conditions","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Song Sparrows are found throughout the U.S. and into Canada, some populations move south during the winter to southern states and northern Mexico. So far 30 subspecies of Song Sparrows have been described.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow working at getting some seeds, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1511,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/12\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":11778,"position":5},"title":"White-crowned Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"White-crowned Sparrows are one of the many birds that I see often during the cold winters of northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow on a cold day in northern Utah.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-juvenile-6756.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-juvenile-6756.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-juvenile-6756.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-juvenile-6756.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}