{"id":57665,"date":"2019-05-07T05:39:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T11:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=57665"},"modified":"2025-08-16T05:52:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T10:52:11","slug":"vesper-sparrow-up-close-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/07\/vesper-sparrow-up-close-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Vesper Sparrow Up Close In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

How I got this Vesper Sparrow close up photo<\/h2>\n

\"VesperVesper Sparrow close up – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I went up into the mountains yesterday morning to get away from the biting bugs that seem to be everywhere right now at many of the locations I go to when looking for birds at lower elevations. I heard more birds than I had on my last trip up into the canyons which was wonderful.<\/p>\n

But due to spring road maintenance I wasn’t able to stop long at some of the best places to photograph warblers and other newly arrived migrants.<\/p>\n

So I did what I absolutely love to do.<\/p>\n

I took my time and drove slowly while looking for birds and relaxed while listening to their calls and songs as my eyes feasted on the spring colors that are now creeping up the canyon walls.<\/p>\n

I heard but didn’t see Mountain Bluebirds, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays, Say’s Phoebes and Cedar Waxwings. I spotted Black-capped Chickadees, Green-tailed Towhees, Yellow Warblers, Black-billed Magpies, Vesper Sparrows, Willow Flycatchers, a Belted Kingfisher, Mallards, Canada Geese, Chipping Sparrows, a Great Blue Heron, Barn Swallows, and American Goldfinches.<\/p>\n

Even though I saw a few other small birds I couldn’t identify them because my views of them were so brief. I found more birds yesterday morning but as I write this I realize I want to get to the main subject of my post.<\/p>\n

At one point I was driving south and saw a small bird fly past me and land on the sagebrush next to the road so I turned my Jeep around. I drove back to where I’d seen the bird land and located a Vesper Sparrow singing on the top of the sage.<\/p>\n

I had to remove my “photo noodle<\/span><\/a>” from the window to be able to get a low enough angle of perspective to photograph the sparrow because it was perched down hill from the shoulder of the road.<\/p>\n

I didn’t care much for those photos because the sparrow was facing me head on but I took a few images anyway. To my surprise when the Vesper Sparrow lifted off it flew onto the top of another sagebrush that was even closer to me which was nearly perfect for taking portraits of the sparrow and I took full advantage of the opportunity.<\/p>\n

The light was beautiful in this frame but I think the Vesper Sparrow<\/span><\/a> positively glows.<\/p>\n

It was quiet, peaceful, and relaxing up in the mountains and I didn’t get bitten once by an insect all morning.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

To my surprise when the Vesper Sparrow lifted off it flew onto the top of another sagebrush that was even closer to me which was nearly perfect for taking portraits of the sparrow and I took full advantage of the opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":110891,"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":[27,1731,2258,773],"tags":[4004,3940,4142,3535,4069,2657,4046,855,4195,165,2658],"class_list":["post-57665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-vesper-sparrows","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-canyon","tag-close-up","tag-courtship-behavior","tag-mountains","tag-poocetes-gramineus","tag-portrait","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spring","tag-vesper-sparrow"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2551.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-f05","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":87559,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/13\/springtime-vesper-sparrow-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":57665,"position":0},"title":"Springtime Vesper Sparrow Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I heard my first Vesper Sparrow of spring singing high in the Wasatch Mountains. I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spring Vesper Sparrow perched on a small rock, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Canyon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"For several weeks I repeatedly saw and heard a Vesper Sparrow in a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains and early in July I was able to take some decent images of it as it sang on a metal post.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vesper Sparrow singing in the Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-singing-canyon-mia-mcpherson-2208.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69134,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/28\/vesper-sparrows-in-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":57665,"position":3},"title":"Vesper Sparrows In Spring","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this month I spotted my first of year Vesper Sparrow way up north in Box Elder County and since then I have been looking for them closer to home in the Wasatch Mountains.","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":"Vesper Sparrow on a white rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-on-a-rock-mia-mcpherson-6949.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-on-a-rock-mia-mcpherson-6949.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-on-a-rock-mia-mcpherson-6949.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-on-a-rock-mia-mcpherson-6949.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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winter drags on, I find myself yearning for the sounds of spring. In particular, I can barely wait to hear the soft morning song of a Vesper Sparrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dawn Vesper Sparrow, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-0629.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-0629.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-0629.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-mia-mcpherson-0629.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\/57665","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=57665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}