{"id":131967,"date":"2024-08-07T02:36:05","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T07:36:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=131967"},"modified":"2024-08-07T14:08:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T19:08:59","slug":"savannah-sparrow-in-the-centennial-valley-of-montana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/07\/savannah-sparrow-in-the-centennial-valley-of-montana\/","title":{"rendered":"Savannah Sparrow In The Centennial Valley Of Montana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I was looking through some older files for an image licensing request when I came across this photo of a Savannah Sparrow that I took in Montana in 2016.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-131969 size-full\" title=\"Adult Savannah Sparrow in the Centennial Valley of Montana\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019.jpg\" alt=\"Adult Savannah Sparrow in the Centennial Valley of Montana\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019-800x572.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Adult Savannah Sparrow in the Centennial Valley of Montana \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>When I realized I had never shared it here before, I decided to process the photo and share it today. And why not?<\/p>\n<p>I adore Savannah Sparrows and haven&#8217;t seen or <a href=\"https:\/\/xeno-canto.org\/717635\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">heard<\/span><\/a> one in a while. This species doesn&#8217;t seem to breed in Oklahoma or Arkansas, but they do pass through during their migration. Notably, I did see several in the spring at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge but only recall taking a few images of them.<\/p>\n<p>I used to see and hear Savannah Sparrows year-round in Utah and during the spring, summer, and fall in Idaho and Montana.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll get used to them not being around for their breeding season, I suppose. There are other birds that breed here that I didn&#8217;t see in Utah, so it&#8217;s a trade-off.<\/p>\n<p>When I took this photo, I found the Savannah Sparrow perched on a shrub near the Red Rock River that runs through the Centennial Valley. The blue in the background of this image is the river, and the greenish color is the riverbank.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m really glad that, because of the image request I had, I opened this older folder and saw this Savannah Sparrow photo again. I have so many images like this one that I can and should share at some point in time.<\/p>\n<p>This photo reminded me of the beauty of the Centennial Valley in Montana, and I am glad it does.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/savannah-sparrow-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Savannah Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was looking through some older files for an image licensing request when I came across this photo of a Savannah Sparrow that I took in Montana in 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131969,"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":[1513,27,223,12,831],"tags":[4004,4194,4104,5558,6329,229,855,4195,165,5434,3996,4095],"class_list":["post-131967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-avian","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-savannah-sparrows","tag-adult","tag-passerculus-sandwichensis","tag-perched","tag-river","tag-riverbank","tag-savannah-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spring","tag-valley","tag-water","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/savannah-sparrow-adult-centennial-valley-montana-mia-mcpherson-2019.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ykv","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47806,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/07\/26\/centennial-valley-savannah-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":0},"title":"Centennial Valley Savannah Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Some of the birds I see often while at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana are Savannah Sparrows and I love to photograph them there.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Valley Savannah Sparrow on Greasewood, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-9497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-9497.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-9497.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-9497.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15385,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/12\/a-foraging-savannah-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":1},"title":"Foraging Savannah Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this month while I was in Montana I spent time photographing some Savannah Sparrows at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow foraging for prey, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9648.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9648.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9648.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9648.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45693,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/20\/spring-songs-savannah-sparrows\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":2},"title":"Spring Songs &#8211; Savannah Sparrows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"On my last two trips up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I have heard Savannah Sparrows singing \"sit sit sit sit suh-EEEEE say\" from somewhere in the marshes.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow on fence railing, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2775,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/18\/the-savannah-sparrows-of-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":3},"title":"The Savannah Sparrows of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 18, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"These Savannah Sparrows were nearly as much fun to observe as they were to photograph. They are very active birds and it was a challenge to keep up with them","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow wing stretch, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-fluttering-mia-mcpherson-7466.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-fluttering-mia-mcpherson-7466.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-fluttering-mia-mcpherson-7466.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-fluttering-mia-mcpherson-7466.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6013,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/29\/savannah-sparrows-in-glacier-county-montana\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":4},"title":"Savannah Sparrows in Glacier County, Montana","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"During my travels in Montana earlier this month I saw loads of Savannah Sparrows and although there were many in southwestern Montana I only photographed the ones on the farm in Glacier County.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Savannah Sparrow in dried grasses, Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-9539.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-9539.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-9539.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/savannah-sparrow-montana-mia-mcpherson-9539.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70937,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/06\/17\/female-brown-headed-cowbird-in-a-serviceberry\/","url_meta":{"origin":131967,"position":5},"title":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird In A Serviceberry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago one of the birds that the Song Sparrows chased off was an adult female Brown-headed Cowbird that landed on a serviceberry in front of me.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Beaverhead County&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Brown-headed Cowbird perched in a Utah Serviceberry, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/brown-headed-cowbird-female-serviceberry-mia-mcpherson-6004.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131967","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=131967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}