{"id":56730,"date":"2019-03-19T05:38:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T11:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=56730"},"modified":"2025-02-22T14:48:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T20:48:42","slug":"early-spring-american-tree-sparrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/03\/19\/early-spring-american-tree-sparrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Spring American Tree Sparrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last time I wrote about American Tree Sparrows I said that they would be migrating soon and that I hoped I could take a few more photos of them before they migrated and I had that opportunity two days ago.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring American Tree Sparrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I had been photographing nesting Black-billed Magpies when some movement in my peripheral vision caused me to look to my left where I saw this sparrow nearly hidden behind some dead sagebrush branches.<\/p>\n

I quickly moved my lens, focused on the sparrow and hoped that the bird would come out into the open.<\/p>\n

While the American Tree Sparrow didn’t fully come out into the open it did move to a better location where I had a clear view of its face and body and that was good enough for me.<\/p>\n

I knew it might be my last chance to photograph an American Tree Sparrow this season and I jumped at it.<\/p>\n

These sparrows breed in the northern reaches of North America and will be winging their way to their breeding grounds and I am almost certain that some are already on their way.<\/p>\n

During the late fall and throughout the winter I keep an eye out for these handsome sparrows that spend the winter here and though I will be sad to see them go I wish them a safe journey to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

The last time I wrote about American Tree Sparrows I said that they would be migrating soon and that I hoped I could take a few more photos of them before they migrated and I had that opportunity two days ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140663,"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":[2133,511,27,1022,26],"tags":[4004,2815,6577,530,4104,855,4195,2134,165,9114],"class_list":["post-56730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-tree-sparrows","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-american-tree-sparrow","tag-branches","tag-migration","tag-perched","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spizelloides-arborea","tag-spring","tag-tree-sparrow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-twigs-mia-mcpherson-2437.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-eL0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51108,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/01\/photographing-american-tree-sparrows-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":0},"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":54835,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/11\/02\/anxiously-awaiting-my-first-of-season-american-tree-sparrows\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":1},"title":"Anxiously Awaiting My First Of Season American Tree Sparrows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I checked eBird this morning and I only see one person reporting American Tree Sparrows so far this autumn in northern Utah so hopefully that means one more cold front pushing through and I will be seeing these long-tailed, rusty capped sparrows with their gray heads, rusty eyelines and bicolored\u2026","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 foraging on the bare ground, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-ground-mia-mcpherson-8839.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-ground-mia-mcpherson-8839.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-ground-mia-mcpherson-8839.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-ground-mia-mcpherson-8839.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49368,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/09\/american-tree-sparrow-on-antelope-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":2},"title":"American Tree Sparrow on Antelope Island","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been having fairly good luck spotting American Tree Sparrows this fall and when this one popped up on top of a greasewood yesterday I was delighted.","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 Greasewood, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-6108.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-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-6108.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-6108.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-greasewood-mia-mcpherson-6108.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49611,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/29\/american-tree-sparrows-galore\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":3},"title":"American Tree Sparrows Galore","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm seeing more American Tree Sparrows than I've seen since I moved to Utah in 2009 and I hope that means they had a very successful breeding season in 2017.","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 up close, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.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-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8910.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7620,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/24\/american-tree-sparrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":4},"title":"American Tree Sparrow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month I was able to take images of American Tree Sparrows on two different days in very different conditions in about the same location on Antelope Island State Park.","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 Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-3181.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-mia-mcpherson-3181.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-3181.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/american-tree-sparrow-mia-mcpherson-3181.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56348,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/02\/27\/our-american-tree-sparrows-will-soon-be-winging-their-way-north\/","url_meta":{"origin":56730,"position":5},"title":"Our American Tree Sparrows Will Soon Be Winging Their Way North","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Before too long these small but handsome American Tree Sparrows will be winging their way north to their breeding grounds in the thickets and open tundra of northern Canada and Alaska.","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 top of fresh snow, 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-4455.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-4455.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-4455.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-4455.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56730","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=56730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/140663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}