{"id":59308,"date":"2019-08-01T05:08:29","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T11:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59308"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T21:38:28","slug":"focusing-on-young-song-sparrows-near-a-creek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/08\/01\/focusing-on-young-song-sparrows-near-a-creek\/","title":{"rendered":"Focusing On Young Song Sparrows Near A Creek"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile Song Sparrow on a stump – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this week I shared an image of a young Song Sparrow that I had taken last year<\/span><\/a> and I mentioned that I hadn’t taken any images of them out in the open yet this year.<\/p>\n

Well, the Universe must have read that post because it gifted me with several young Song Sparrows out in the open a few days later.<\/p>\n

I took these photos the same day I photographed the Spotted Sandpiper chicks<\/span><\/a> that I shared here yesterday.<\/p>\n

In fact there were a few times I had both young Song Sparrows and Spotted Sandpiper chicks in the same frame but one or the other species was not in focus unfortunately!<\/p>\n

This was the first of the Song Sparrow chicks I photographed two days ago in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a>. When it landed on this stump I was pleased that I took a few images of it looking in my direction in the early morning light.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Song Sparrow high in the Wasatch Mountain Range – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Later on in the morning another immature Song Sparrow popped up on a branch near the dry creek bed and it also looked in my direction.<\/p>\n

This young sparrow looked just a bit older than the one in the first photo and it may not be a sibling to it because there were several adult Song Sparrows nearby so there may be a few other families in the same area.<\/p>\n

I can’t be sure though.<\/p>\n

\"TaillessTailless immature Song Sparrow – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This immature Song Sparrow showed up and right away I noticed that it was tailless. I never got views of its fluffy little butt where I could see anything more than a few short tail feathers that have begun to grow in.<\/p>\n

I am sure that it won’t be long before this young Song Sparrow has a tail once again.<\/p>\n

I was glad to have so many immature Song Sparrows in my viewfinder that were out in the open on the ground and perched up higher.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

I was glad to have so many immature Song Sparrows in my viewfinder that were out in the open on the ground and perched up higher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160616,"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":[27,204,1731,26,773],"tags":[3843,4067,4071,4202,7508,4069,4023,855,4195,5113,5517,4193],"class_list":["post-59308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-song-sparrows","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-creek","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-mountain-range","tag-mountains","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-stump","tag-tailless","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-juvenile-willow-stump-mia-mcpherson-2695.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fqA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92381,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/19\/fledgling-song-sparrow-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":59308,"position":0},"title":"Fledgling Song Sparrow Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Any day now I should spot my first of season fledgling Song Sparrow exploring their world and learning how to find food on their own.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Song Sparrow eating at the edge of a creek, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-juvenile-creek-mia-mcpherson-5973.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-juvenile-creek-mia-mcpherson-5973.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-young-mia-mcpherson-5371.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":115165,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/08\/13\/immature-song-sparrow-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":59308,"position":3},"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 "Birds"","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":72022,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/07\/19\/fledgling-song-sparrow-at-waters-edge\/","url_meta":{"origin":59308,"position":4},"title":"Fledgling Song Sparrow At Water’s Edge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am sharing a photo of a fledgling Song Sparrow I photographed last week next to an alpine creek high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Song Sparrow next to an alpine creek, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, 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2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I was able to photograph and adult Song Sparrow eating while perched at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge early in the morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Song Sparrow at Bear River MBR, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/song-sparrow-adult-bear-river-mia-mcpherson-6020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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