{"id":49010,"date":"2017-10-17T04:58:52","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T10:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=49010"},"modified":"2025-10-17T18:07:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T23:07:25","slug":"antelope-island-sagebrush-sparrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/10\/17\/antelope-island-sagebrush-sparrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Antelope Island Sagebrush Sparrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SagebrushSagebrush Sparrow perched in greasewood – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a real treat for me yesterday morning to photograph another Sagebrush Sparrow on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> when I spotted it pop up on a clump of greasewood.<\/p>\n

I haven’t had many opportunities with this sparrow species and after photographing one the end of September<\/span><\/a> I found myself wishing for more views and more photos of this small bird.<\/p>\n

The bird wasn’t as close as I would have liked when I took this photo but it was closer than the bird I photographed a few weeks ago so I was happy even though the setting was a bit more cluttered.<\/p>\n

\"PerkyPerky Sagebrush Sparrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The White-crowned Sparrows nearby didn’t seem to like the Sagebrush Sparrow being in the area and while I was with it I saw them chase it several times, fortunately for me they chased it closer to me rather than simply chasing it far from my view.<\/p>\n

When the Sagebrush Sparrow came in closer I was ready for it. The setting for this image was also on a greasewood but it was less messy looking than where I took the first photos so I was happier still.<\/p>\n

\"SagebrushSagebrush Sparrow lift off – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Sagebrush Sparrow was chased again by the aggressive White-crowned Sparrows it perched out in the open on top of the greasewood a little bit further away with sun-dried grasses in the background.<\/p>\n

I was able to photograph it at the moment it lifted off. I thought it might be my last chance with the small bird for the morning.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Sagebrush Sparrow on Antelope Island – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

It wasn’t. After refinding it perched out in the open a few yards from the greasewood clump I was able to take a long series of images of the Sagebrush Sparrow.<\/p>\n

It gave great views of its white eye ring, the patches of white in front in front of its eyes, its soft gray head and streaky back.<\/p>\n

\"SagebrushSagebrush Sparrow in a light breeze – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sagebrush Sparrow I found and photographed spent quite a bit of time perched out in the open yesterday morning which allowed me to take hundreds of images of it before another White-crowned Sparrow flew in to chase it into a clump of greasewood that was too far away to take quality images of it.<\/p>\n

I was thrilled to have this elegant, elusive bird in my viewfinder again especially since this species has been on my wish list<\/span><\/a> for a long time.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

It was a real treat for me yesterday morning to photograph another Sagebrush Sparrow on Antelope Island State Park when I spotted it pop up on a clump of greasewood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160707,"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":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,482,26],"tags":[4004,2438,970,5460,11978,4620,1830,4282,4104,2437,855,4195],"class_list":["post-49010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-sagebrush-sparrows","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-artemisiospiza-nevadensis","tag-autumn","tag-breeze","tag-desert-island","tag-fall","tag-greasewood","tag-lift-off","tag-perched","tag-sagebrush-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sagebrush-sparrow-perched-mia-mcpherson-7236.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-cKu","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48667,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/27\/sagebrush-sparrow-my-tiny-nemesis\/","url_meta":{"origin":49010,"position":0},"title":"Sagebrush Sparrow – My Tiny Nemesis","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I think the Sagebrush Sparrows are beautiful, elegant birds and I want more photos of them than I have!","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":"Sagebrush Sparrow perched on a dead greasewood branch, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sagebrush-sparrow-perched-mia-mcpherson-7283.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sagebrush-sparrow-perched-mia-mcpherson-7283.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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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 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-8276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-8276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-8276.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-grasshopper-mia-mcpherson-8276.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22283,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/23\/lark-sparrows-have-returned-to-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":49010,"position":3},"title":"Lark Sparrows Have Returned to Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"For the past week I have been anxiously awaiting my first sighting of Lark Sparrows and yesterday I finally saw them.","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":"Singing Lark Sparrow perched in Sagebrush in northern Utah.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-singing-mia-mcpherson-0956.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-singing-mia-mcpherson-0956.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/lark-sparrow-singing-mia-mcpherson-0956.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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