Category: Sparrows and Finches
White-crowned Sparrow Attempting To Feed In The Wind
Bathing Vesper Sparrow (this bird didn’t read “the book”)
Savannah Sparrow Feeding Fledgling
Savannah Sparrow – Fearless Dragon Slayer
Lark Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
This morning I decided to feature another common and underappreciated species, the Vesper Sparrow. Friend and regular reader “Elephant’s Child” often refers to small, less colorful species as LBJs – “little brown jobs”. She appreciates the LBJs as much as their more colorful cousins and I give lip service to the fact that I do too but there’s no question that they get less attention on my blog than they deserve. This post is an attempt to partially remedy that situation.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
A Tribute To The “Common Species”
Many bird photographers tend to largely ignore the most common species in their areas and I’m as guilty of that as anyone.
There seems to be a sort of “supply and demand” philosophy – the more common they are the less appealing they are as subjects. That’s too bad for at least a couple of reasons – familiar birds can be just as interesting and beautiful as many of the others and what’s “common” where we live and/or shoot is very often uncommon or even nonexistent for folks in other areas. This post is meant to make up to some degree for my own poor judgment at times in choosing subjects.
Several Sparrow Species In Frost And Snow
In my area most sparrow species aren’t easy to approach or catch out in the open for most of the year but when it’s very cold and they decide it’s time to begin their communal morning feeding routine they become much braver souls. Earlier this week I photographed three species of sparrows as they harvested seeds from their frost-covered parent plants.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
White-crowned Sparrows – Sunflower Gluttony And Crossed Bills
A local pumpkin farmer (Pack Farms) plants sunflowers along the periphery of his pumpkin field and each fall they provide a messy bounty for a variety of birds. Most species seem to be tidy eaters but the juvenile White-crowned Sparrows are an exception.
The orange in the background of these shots is – you guessed it – pumpkins.
Lazuli Buntings In The San Rafael Swell
Strong Graphic Lines – A Matter Of Taste
I’ve been a fan of strong graphic lines in my images ever since my friend Richard Ditch introduced me to their potential a few years ago. The source of those lines may be natural or unnatural but since my subjects are mostly birds and many of them perch on fences, my graphic lines are often provided by fence wires. In some ways I’d prefer natural elements in my images but wires can also be compositionally and visually interesting
Lark Sparrow – The Sparrow With The Harlequin Face
Lark Sparrows are among my favorite songbirds to photograph, largely because of their boldly patterned face and head. Those dramatic chestnut, black and white markings make it one of the easier sparrows to identify and give it that harlequin look. This species has declined precipitously in the East but its populations seem secure in the rest of the continent where they’re naturally found.
White-crowned Sparrow Attempting To Feed In The Wind
Bathing Vesper Sparrow (this bird didn’t read “the book”)
Savannah Sparrow Feeding Fledgling
Savannah Sparrow – Fearless Dragon Slayer
Lark Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
This morning I decided to feature another common and underappreciated species, the Vesper Sparrow. Friend and regular reader “Elephant’s Child” often refers to small, less colorful species as LBJs – “little brown jobs”. She appreciates the LBJs as much as their more colorful cousins and I give lip service to the fact that I do too but there’s no question that they get less attention on my blog than they deserve. This post is an attempt to partially remedy that situation.
Frost-eating White-crowned Sparrow
A Tribute To The “Common Species”
Many bird photographers tend to largely ignore the most common species in their areas and I’m as guilty of that as anyone.
There seems to be a sort of “supply and demand” philosophy – the more common they are the less appealing they are as subjects. That’s too bad for at least a couple of reasons – familiar birds can be just as interesting and beautiful as many of the others and what’s “common” where we live and/or shoot is very often uncommon or even nonexistent for folks in other areas. This post is meant to make up to some degree for my own poor judgment at times in choosing subjects.
Several Sparrow Species In Frost And Snow
In my area most sparrow species aren’t easy to approach or catch out in the open for most of the year but when it’s very cold and they decide it’s time to begin their communal morning feeding routine they become much braver souls. Earlier this week I photographed three species of sparrows as they harvested seeds from their frost-covered parent plants.
A White-crowned Sparrow And The Effect Of Depth Of Field
Two days ago I found this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow sunning itself in a wild rose-bush at Farmington Bay. It was a cold morning (you can see frost on the perch behind the bird) and due to the frigid temperature the sparrow wasn’t flitting around much so I did a little experimentation with depth of field.
White-crowned Sparrows – Sunflower Gluttony And Crossed Bills
A local pumpkin farmer (Pack Farms) plants sunflowers along the periphery of his pumpkin field and each fall they provide a messy bounty for a variety of birds. Most species seem to be tidy eaters but the juvenile White-crowned Sparrows are an exception.
The orange in the background of these shots is – you guessed it – pumpkins.
Lazuli Buntings In The San Rafael Swell
Strong Graphic Lines – A Matter Of Taste
I’ve been a fan of strong graphic lines in my images ever since my friend Richard Ditch introduced me to their potential a few years ago. The source of those lines may be natural or unnatural but since my subjects are mostly birds and many of them perch on fences, my graphic lines are often provided by fence wires. In some ways I’d prefer natural elements in my images but wires can also be compositionally and visually interesting
Lark Sparrow – The Sparrow With The Harlequin Face
Lark Sparrows are among my favorite songbirds to photograph, largely because of their boldly patterned face and head. Those dramatic chestnut, black and white markings make it one of the easier sparrows to identify and give it that harlequin look. This species has declined precipitously in the East but its populations seem secure in the rest of the continent where they’re naturally found.