{"id":61555,"date":"2019-12-05T06:15:20","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T13:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=61555"},"modified":"2025-10-17T05:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T10:52:13","slug":"song-sparrows-in-the-marsh-of-farmington-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/05\/song-sparrows-in-the-marsh-of-farmington-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Song Sparrows In The Marsh Of Farmington Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SongSong Sparrow in early morning light \u2013 Nikon D500, f5.6, 1\/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I love to photograph all birds and that includes sparrows. Some of the sparrows I find here in Utah are migratory and some are year round residents. Song Sparrows are among the sparrow species I see throughout all four seasons and they seem to handle the harsh winters of Utah as well as they do the intense summer heat.<\/p>\n

I photographed this Song Sparrow as it perched on phragmites one frosty morning at Farmington Bay WMA last month not long after the sun rose over the Wasatch Mountains. This is about as “golden” as the light gets there because the mountains block the best of the morning light for a little while after dawn.<\/p>\n

\"AlertAlert adult Song Sparrow, Farmington Bay WMA \u2013 Nikon D500, f5.6, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Song Sparrow became alert when another sparrow moved in the phragmites near it and raised the crown feathers on its head. Not long after this photo was taken this sparrow dove into the phrags.<\/p>\n

\"SongSong Sparrow in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA \u2013 Nikon D500, f5.6, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This photo, taken a few minutes later, may or may not be the same Song Sparrow<\/span><\/a> because there were several in the same area of the marsh.<\/p>\n

I’ve seen this sparrow species in mountain canyons, the marshes surrounding the Great Salt Lake, forest edges, prairies, farmer’s fields, grasslands, sagebrush steppes, and out in the foothills of the sky island mountains of the West Desert. I probably see Song Sparrows more often and in more habitats than any other sparrow species here in Utah.\u00a0 I am delighted by that.<\/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 probably see Song Sparrows more often and in more habitats than any other sparrow species here in Utah.\u00a0 I am delighted by that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":160632,"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":[4004,4540,970,4620,4254,4094,4202,4099,4104,4059,6428,4023,855,4195,4095],"class_list":["post-61555","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-alert","tag-autumn","tag-fall","tag-golden-light","tag-marsh","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-morning-light","tag-perched","tag-phragmites","tag-phrags","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-1577.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-g0P","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":107589,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/29\/song-sparrow-singing-on-an-october-morning\/","url_meta":{"origin":61555,"position":0},"title":"Song Sparrow Singing On An October Morning","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I'm sharing a simple singing Song Sparrow photographed on a late October morning. Or is it truly all that simple?\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing Song Sparrow in late October, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/song-sparrow-singing-frosty-phrags-mia-mcpherson-2954.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/song-sparrow-singing-frosty-phrags-mia-mcpherson-2954.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/song-sparrow-singing-frosty-phrags-mia-mcpherson-2954.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/song-sparrow-singing-frosty-phrags-mia-mcpherson-2954.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":121839,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/24\/song-sparrow-serenade\/","url_meta":{"origin":61555,"position":1},"title":"Song Sparrow Serenade – Happy Birthday Chris!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I was serenaded by this Song Sparrow yesterday on the rut-filled road at Farmington Bay WMA. It might seem odd, but this bird reminded me of my youngest son.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow singing in a marsh, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/song-sparrow-singing-marsh-mia-mcpherson-9010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/song-sparrow-singing-marsh-mia-mcpherson-9010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/song-sparrow-singing-marsh-mia-mcpherson-9010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/song-sparrow-singing-marsh-mia-mcpherson-9010.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6723,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/07\/song-sparrows-in-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":61555,"position":2},"title":"Song Sparrows In Winter Conditions","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Song Sparrows are found throughout the U.S. and into Canada, some populations move south during the winter to southern states and northern Mexico. So far 30 subspecies of Song Sparrows have been described.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Song Sparrow working at getting some seeds, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.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-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/song-sparrow-winter-mia-mcpherson-8790.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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