{"id":117865,"date":"2023-11-06T03:51:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T10:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=117865"},"modified":"2023-11-06T03:51:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T10:51:34","slug":"house-sparrow-on-the-rocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/06\/house-sparrow-on-the-rocks\/","title":{"rendered":"House Sparrow On The Rocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the last birds I photographed on my recent trip to Bear River MBR was this male House Sparrow, perched on a lichen-covered rock south of the Bear River<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale House Sparrow on the rocks \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, I am already very well aware of how people feel about this introduced species. I am also aware that there will be less views on this post than there would be if the bird I photographed on this rock were a different species.<\/p>\n

If it were a hawk or falcon? Lots of views. If it were a native perching bird? Again, lots of views. If it were a duck on the rock? Well, I think it would still get plenty of views.<\/p>\n

But that is alright with me. I photograph birds and a bird is a bird is a bird.<\/p>\n

This House Sparrow was one of the many birds I photographed a week ago, and I am writing about it today. It was as much a part of my morning journey as any of the other birds in my viewfinder.<\/p>\n

I find this House Sparrow photo visually appealing because of the lichen encrusted rock, the light, the background, the pose of the sparrow, and the look I appeared to be getting from the bird.<\/p>\n

It is my opinion that there is nothing to dislike about the image. Except some people won’t like it simply because there is a House Sparrow<\/span><\/a> in the photo.<\/p>\n

To each her or his own. But as for me, I photograph and share the birds I find, whether they are native, introduced, extremely common, or going through a really bad molt phase. That is who I am.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

One of the last birds I photographed on my recent trip to Bear River MBR was this male House Sparrow, perched on a lichen-covered rock south of the Bear River.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117861,"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":[124,27,1148,5799,26],"tags":[970,4620,5800,686,4062,6853,12612,5801,4104,11852,4470,855,4195],"class_list":["post-117865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-house-sparrows","category-utah","tag-autumn","tag-fall","tag-house-sparrow","tag-introduced","tag-male","tag-nonnative","tag-old-lake-bed","tag-passer-domesticus","tag-perched","tag-ranchlands","tag-rocks","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/house-sparrow-on-the-rocks-mia-mcpherson-6740.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-uF3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":106781,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/03\/fall-white-crowned-sparrow-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":117865,"position":0},"title":"Fall White-crowned Sparrow At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago I photographed a fall White-crowned Sparrow perched on some vegetation from the auto tour loop at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"White-crowned Sparrow at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7815.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7815.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7815.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-7815.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100931,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/20\/world-sparrow-day-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":117865,"position":1},"title":"World Sparrow Day 2022","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is World Sparrow Day and since I love all of the sparrows on the planet I thought I'd share some of the sparrows I have photographed in North America.","rel":"","context":"In "American Tree Sparrows"","block_context":{"text":"American Tree Sparrows","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/emberzine-sparrows-allies\/american-tree-sparrows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult White-crowned Sparrow in a hackberry tree, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-hackberry-rabbitbrush-mia-mcpherson-4955.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101612,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/18\/savannah-sparrow-in-the-marsh-of-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":117865,"position":2},"title":"Savannah Sparrow In The Marsh Of Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been hearing more Savannah Sparrows than usual at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge this spring. I hope that means their numbers are increasing.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow perched in the marsh at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/savannah-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/savannah-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/savannah-sparrow-adult-marsh-mia-mcpherson-2823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-river-mia-mcpherson-6561.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-river-mia-mcpherson-6561.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-river-mia-mcpherson-6561.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/clarks-grebe-river-mia-mcpherson-6561.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100780,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/15\/late-winter-savannah-sparrow-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":117865,"position":4},"title":"Late Winter Savannah Sparrow Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I was 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