{"id":55293,"date":"2018-12-15T05:33:24","date_gmt":"2018-12-15T12:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55293"},"modified":"2025-02-16T05:08:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T11:08:57","slug":"puffed-up-song-sparrow-on-natural-and-man-made-perches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/15\/puffed-up-song-sparrow-on-natural-and-man-made-perches\/","title":{"rendered":"Puffed Up Song Sparrow On Natural And Man Made Perches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-140127 size-full\" title=\"Puffy Song Sparrow on a frosted branch\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130.jpg\" alt=\"Puffy Song Sparrow on a frosted branch, Davis County, Utah\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-frosted-branch-mia-mcpherson-4130.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Puffy Song Sparrow on a frosted branch &#8211; Nikon D500, f10, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I have a preference for photographing birds on natural perches because birds are wild and I like showing them in their natural habitats in my photos. Sometimes that means the setting is cluttered so I do my best to photograph the birds without too many items obstructing a clear view of my subject. Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph the same Song Sparrow in a natural setting and in a setting where there were man made objects.<\/p>\n<p>This photo shows the Song Sparrow perched on a frosted branch in a bush near a road that had a tiny bit of the frost on its bill. I love the clear view of the sparrow but the background is a little cluttered for my tastes. The sparrow was all puffed up because of the cold, it was around 18\u00b0F when I took this image.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-140126 size-full\" title=\"Puffed up Song Sparrow on a frosty fence rail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214.jpg\" alt=\"Puffed up Song Sparrow on a frosty fence rail, Davis County, Utah\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214-800x571.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Puffed up Song Sparrow on a frosty fence rail &#8211; Nikon D500, f10, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Then the Song Sparrow moved from the bush to a frosty fence rail that had an out of focus section of the fence behind it in the nice morning light that only had a few out of focus branches and leaves on the right side of the frame. Of these two images I like this one the best because the bird stands out better at first glance than it does in the first image.<\/p>\n<p>To me it almost looks like this Song Sparrow swallowed a ping pong ball it is so round from being puffed up.<\/p>\n<p>These two Song Sparrow photos are a reminder to me that sometimes having man made objects in my photos isn&#8217;t such a bad thing, it is just a matter of personal tastes.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/song-sparrow-images\/\">here<\/a> to see more of my Song Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These two Song Sparrow photos are a reminder to me that sometimes having man made objects in my photos isn&#8217;t such a bad thing, it is just a matter of personal tastes. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140126,"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":[27,1022,697,204,26],"tags":[4004,4897,834,3983,6904,368,5152,4202,6905,5652,4023,855,4195,373],"class_list":["post-55293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-song-sparrows","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-branch","tag-fence-rail","tag-frost","tag-frosted","tag-frosty","tag-man-made","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-natural","tag-puffed-up","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/song-sparrow-fence-mia-mcpherson-4214.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-enP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":115165,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/13\/immature-song-sparrow-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":0},"title":"Immature Song Sparrow Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, while I was up in the Wasatch Mountain Range, I took several immature Song Sparrow photos in different areas of the mountains.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Song Sparrow with ripe serviceberries, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/song-sparrow-immature-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7501.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/song-sparrow-immature-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7501.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/song-sparrow-immature-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7501.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/song-sparrow-immature-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-7501.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110201,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/13\/perky-song-sparrow-on-a-greasewood-perch\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":1},"title":"Perky Song Sparrow On A Greasewood Perch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday I had a few seconds to photograph a perky Song Sparrow perched on a greasewood at Farmington Bay WMA just before I started to head towards home.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perky Song Sparrow on a greasewood, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/song-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-2890.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101789,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/25\/song-sparrow-on-a-cold-spring-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":2},"title":"Song Sparrow On A Cold Spring Morning And My Fox Sparrow Disappointment","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I am sharing photos of a Song Sparrow I found yesterday morning high in the mountains where the temps were so low that frost had formed overnight.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffed up and cold Song Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/song-sparrow-adult-chilly-mia-mpcherson-8656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/song-sparrow-adult-chilly-mia-mpcherson-8656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/song-sparrow-adult-chilly-mia-mpcherson-8656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/song-sparrow-adult-chilly-mia-mpcherson-8656.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70299,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/29\/song-sparrow-on-a-cloudy-spring-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":3},"title":"Song Sparrow On A Cloudy Spring Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Song Sparrow didn't let the gray clouds overhead, the moisture in the air or its damp feathers stop it from singing to all the other birds within earshot. I have to admire that.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Song Sparrow singing on a cloudy Spring morning, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/song-sparrow-wet-morning-mia-mcpherson-3032.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/song-sparrow-wet-morning-mia-mcpherson-3032.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/song-sparrow-wet-morning-mia-mcpherson-3032.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/song-sparrow-wet-morning-mia-mcpherson-3032.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58944,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/07\/11\/back-side-view-of-an-adult-song-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":4},"title":"Back Side View Of An Adult Song Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Just a few days ago I was listening to Song Sparrows singing on the East Coast and yesterday I was listening to them singing in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Back side view of a Song Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-back-view-mia-mcpherson-7140.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-back-view-mia-mcpherson-7140.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-back-view-mia-mcpherson-7140.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/song-sparrow-adult-back-view-mia-mcpherson-7140.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94612,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/08\/young-song-sparrow-on-a-bright-summer-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":55293,"position":5},"title":"Young Song Sparrow On A Bright Summer Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month I had a brief photo session with a young Song Sparrow near a creek in bright morning light high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Song Sparrow perched on an old willow branch, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-young-mia-mcpherson-5371.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-young-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-young-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55293","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=55293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}