{"id":87559,"date":"2021-05-13T04:33:04","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T10:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=87559"},"modified":"2025-08-16T04:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T09:31:13","slug":"springtime-vesper-sparrow-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/13\/springtime-vesper-sparrow-images\/","title":{"rendered":"Springtime Vesper Sparrow Images"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultAdult Vesper Sparrow singing on sage \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday morning I heard my first Vesper Sparrow of spring singing<\/span><\/a> high in the Wasatch Mountains. I was enchanted and thrilled at the same time. It took me a bit to locate the sparrow then I found it perched on sage by following the sound of its song. I was slightly disappointed that the Vesper Sparrow was fairly far away from the road. That didn’t last long.<\/p>\n

\"VesperVesper Sparrow looking over its shoulder \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I soon heard another much closer Vesper Sparrow singing very close to where I sat in my Jeep and the distant sparrow flew over to join it. Both sparrows seemed to be foraging for food and singing while they looked for their breakfast. I don’t think I’ve ever come across Vesper Sparrows as cooperative as these two were. As the two sparrows moved forward I was able to very quickly drive forward in my Jeep to keep up with them because I didn’t have to spend time pointing them out. I was able to get to where the birds were fast. I know that I can only photograph a bird IF<\/em> I get to them.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Vesper Sparrow perched on a leaning post \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Time after time I moved when the sparrows moved without any hesitation. Because I was able to do that I photographed both Vesper Sparrows on many different perches and settings. I even liked the man made metal post this sparrow perched on briefly.<\/p>\n

\"VesperVesper Sparrow adult in spring grasses \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I also loved the natural perches that both sparrows used too as well as the different poses I was able to capture them in. Even when I viewed them from the back.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring Vesper Sparrow singing close up \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

There were times when the pair of Vesper Sparrows landed close enough to me that I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able get them sharply in focus. I adored listening to them sing as they foraged in the grasses and perched on the sage.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring Vesper Sparrow perched on a small rock \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When one of the Vesper Sparrows perched on a rock I could easily see its rufous lesser coverts that is one of the features that can be used to identify this species<\/span><\/a>. The photo also shows the streaked back, streaked underparts and the white eye ring that can clinch the identification.<\/p>\n

Note: I know that people struggle with sparrow identification and I get asked often for their ID’s. When I can add a few tips I try to include them.<\/p>\n

\"VesperVesper Sparrow back view \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

And speaking of streaked backs I liked how this sparrow turned its head and looked towards my Jeep even though it had its back to me. I get views of the backs of this species quite often without the wonderful head turn so this was a treat.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring Vesper Sparrow up close \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Just when I thought the Vesper Sparrows wouldn’t get any closer to me this sparrow surprised me when it perched on a rock next to the shoulder of the dirt road.<\/p>\n

\"VesperVesper Sparrow singing on sage in the Wasatch Mountains \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The last series of photos that I took of the two Vesper Sparrows was of this sparrow singing while it perched on the branches of a sage. I hated to leave these two sparrows when I did because they were so cooperative.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":110923,"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":[27,1731,26,2258,773],"tags":[4004,5180,3940,4142,3747,4109,6821,6613,4069,4104,2657,4394,4921,2817,4057,11614,4179,855,4195,165,1732,30,2658,4176],"class_list":["post-87559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-vesper-sparrows","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-back-view","tag-canyon","tag-close-up","tag-grass","tag-grasses","tag-leaning","tag-metal-post","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-poocetes-gramineus","tag-post","tag-rock","tag-sage","tag-sagebrush","tag-shoulder","tag-singing-2","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-spring","tag-summit-county-2","tag-utah-2","tag-vesper-sparrow","tag-wasatch-mountains"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-6697.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-mMf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":90334,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/13\/vesper-sparrow-looking-up-at-the-sky\/","url_meta":{"origin":87559,"position":0},"title":"Vesper Sparrow Looking Up At The Sky","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Friday morning I found this Vesper Sparrow perched on an old fence post next to a dusty road with another sparrow singing from the top of a sage about 100 feet away.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vesper Sparrow looking at the sky, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-tilted-head-mia-mcpherson-5620.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-tilted-head-mia-mcpherson-5620.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-tilted-head-mia-mcpherson-5620.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-adult-tilted-head-mia-mcpherson-5620.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":103942,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/07\/summer-vesper-sparrow-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":87559,"position":1},"title":"Summer Vesper Sparrow Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Today my post is focused on a little brown bird with a wonderful song I photographed yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains. The LBB was a handsome Vesper Sparrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vesper Sparrow fluffing its feathers, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/vesper-sparrow-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-3187.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/vesper-sparrow-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-3187.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/vesper-sparrow-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-3187.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/vesper-sparrow-summer-mountains-mia-mcpherson-3187.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2551.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-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2551.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2551.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/vesper-sparrow-close-up-mia-mcpherson-2551.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53194,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/22\/singing-vesper-sparrow-in-a-wasatch-mountain-canyon\/","url_meta":{"origin":87559,"position":3},"title":"Singing Vesper Sparrow in a Wasatch Mountain 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, 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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\/87559","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=87559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}