{"id":12410,"date":"2013-12-30T05:13:57","date_gmt":"2013-12-30T12:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=12410"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T19:15:22","slug":"song-sparrow-foraging-on-a-cold-winter-morning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/12\/30\/song-sparrow-foraging-on-a-cold-winter-morning\/","title":{"rendered":"Song Sparrow Foraging On A Cold Winter Morning"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SongSong Sparrow foraging on a cold winter morning – Nikon D300, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

While photographing Barn Owls last January I caught a small movement out of the corner of my eye and noticed a Song Sparrow foraging for seeds on the snow covered ground.<\/p>\n

The Barn Owl I was photographing wasn’t close by so I took one image of the tiny sparrow thinking that I wouldn’t like it because the bird would be small in the frame.<\/p>\n

I was pleasantly surprised though when I viewed this image on my monitor because I like the long shadows on the snow, the bits of seed the Song Sparrow<\/span><\/a> had knocked of the spindly plant, and how the sparrow being small in the frame conveys the feeling of how harsh winter can be for these little birds.<\/p>\n

Perhaps there are times when “less is more”.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

While photographing Barn Owls last January I caught a small movement out of the corner of my eye and noticed a Song Sparrow foraging for seeds on the snow covered ground. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160562,"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":[27,697,204,26],"tags":[4004,4021,3981,4136,4094,4202,4035,4050,4328,4023,855,4195,4095,4032,373],"class_list":["post-12410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-song-sparrows","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-bird-photography","tag-davis-county","tag-foraging","tag-marsh","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-nature-photography","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-wetlands","tag-wildlife-photography","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9494.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3ea","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11738,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/12\/10\/song-sparrow-on-a-bitter-cold-winter-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":12410,"position":0},"title":"Song Sparrow On A Bitter Cold Winter Day","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday the lowest temperature I saw at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area was -12F which reinforces the thought that \"bird photography isn't for everyone\" and that winters in Utah are hard on the birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow on a bitter cold winter day, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-food-mia-mia-mcpherson-6761.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-food-mia-mia-mcpherson-6761.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-food-mia-mia-mcpherson-6761.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-food-mia-mia-mcpherson-6761.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138694,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/12\/fox-sparrow-photos-nemesis-no-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":12410,"position":1},"title":"Fox Sparrow Photos – Nemesis No More!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I took lots of Fox Sparrow photos, and by doing so, I conquered a nemesis. I've had so much trouble getting Fox Sparrow images that I actually like.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Fox Sparrow on snow in Arkansas, Sebastian County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/fox-sparrow-snow-arkansas-mia-mcpherson-0363.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51108,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/01\/photographing-american-tree-sparrows-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":12410,"position":2},"title":"Photographing American Tree Sparrows in Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I had a great deal of fun yesterday morning while photographing the American Tree Sparrows that I found in abundance on Antelope Island State Park foraging on the ground and perching on the bushes on the northern end of the island.","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":"American Tree Sparrow on a bright winter day, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-snow-mia-mcpherson-4436.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":138663,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/10\/first-winter-harriss-sparrow-in-an-arkansas-snowstorm\/","url_meta":{"origin":12410,"position":3},"title":"First Winter Harris’s Sparrow In An Arkansas Snowstorm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I was over the moon when I saw and photographed a first-winter Harris's Sparrow in a snowstorm yesterday. I\u2019ve waited years and years to take these photos.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"First winter Harris's Sparrow in a snowstorm, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/harriss-sparrow-immature-snow-mia-mcpherson-6181.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/harriss-sparrow-immature-snow-mia-mcpherson-6181.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/harriss-sparrow-immature-snow-mia-mcpherson-6181.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fox-sparrow-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-9778.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fox-sparrow-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-9778.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fox-sparrow-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-9778.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/fox-sparrow-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-9778.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9950,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/10\/24\/juvenile-white-crowned-sparrow-foraging\/","url_meta":{"origin":12410,"position":5},"title":"Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow foraging","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Lately I have been seeing White-crowned Sparrows in the West Desert, at Farmington Bay WMA and Antelope Island State Park in increasing numbers and many of them will over winter here in the Salt Lake Valley.","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 foraging on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/white-crowned-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-3454.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-3454.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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