New World Sparrows are seed eating passerine birds with conical bills.
2020 Photographic Year In Review
This is my 2020 photographic year in review. I'm selecting some of my favorite photos from 2020 and a few that just make me happy to see them.
Dark-eyed Junco And Rabbitbrush
One of the Dark-eyed Juncos that I had in my viewfinder was perched on top of a rabbitbrush with seeds and fluff in its bill that turned its head towards me.
Dark-eyed Juncos And Seasonal Changes
One of the seasonal changes I look for in autumn is when I see that the Dark-eyed Juncos have arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.
Adult White-crowned Sparrow Perched On A Stump
This is a really simple photo with three features, the White-crowned Sparrow, the stump, and a very dark background.
Young White-crowned Sparrow Portrait – Peeking Out Of Junipers
I didn't get the photos I wanted of the sparrows perched on the rabbitbrush but I like this portrait of the young White-crowned Sparrow in front of it just as well.
Male Spotted Towhees – One Immature And One Adult
Spotted Towhees are among the most colorful members of the sparrow family and I always enjoy photographing them on those occasions when they are out in the open.
I’m Just Mad About Sparrows
I had a great time photographing all of the sparrow species I saw two days ago and I could have stayed with them all morning long. I might do just that later this week.
Immature Chipping Sparrow In The Wasatch Mountains
A few days ago I was able to photograph an immature Chipping Sparrow that landed on a wire fence next to a dusty road in the Wasatch Mountains.
Molting Immature Green-tailed Towhee
Green-tailed Towhees that hatched this year undergo a molt on or near their natal breeding grounds prior to fall migration.
Green-tailed Towhees – He? She? It?
This is probably far more information on "He? She? It?" than anyone wanted to see this morning but after photographing the adult and immature Green-tailed Towhees yesterday I thought this was a great time to do this post.
Messy, Molting Song Sparrow
This Song Sparrow will replace its damaged feathers quickly and will look like it normally does once again. Until then, I still think it is a beautiful, albeit somewhat ruffled, bird.
Fledgling Song Sparrow At Water’s Edge
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.
Song Sparrow Adult With A Bill Full Of Prey For Its Young
Three days ago I found an adult Song Sparrow to photograph with its bill full of prey that the sparrow had gathered to feed its young.
Female Brown-headed Cowbird In A Serviceberry
Three days ago one of the birds that the Song Sparrows chased off was an adult female Brown-headed Cowbird that landed on a serviceberry in front of me.
Adult Song Sparrow Up Close
There have been a few times that the Song Sparrows have gotten so close to me that I've felt as if I could almost reach out and touch them.
MacGillivray’s Warblers In The Wasatch Mountains
Despite the difficulties I have finding and photographing MacGillivray's Warblers I will keep trying to take better images of them.
Well Hello There Green-tailed Towhee – I’ve Been Expecting You
I heard the male Green-tailed Towhee before I could see him perched on the weathered post with lichens on the top so a view of him was no surprise for me.
Song Sparrow On A Cloudy Spring Morning
The Song Sparrow didn't let the gray clouds overhead, the moisture in the air or its damp feathers stop it from singing to all the other birds within earshot. I have to admire that.
Green-tailed Towhees Are Migrating Into Utah
One year ago today I "whooped" out loud when I spotted my first of the year Green-tailed Towhee singing as he perched in top of a sagebrush.
Nesting Mountain Bluebirds And Other Woodland Birds
Yesterday I had a blast photographing a pair of Mountain Bluebirds at a natural nesting cavity at the edge of a forest along with some other woodland birds.
Vesper Sparrows In Spring
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.
Song Sparrow Singing On The Marsh At Bear River MBR
I had nice morning light and angled my Jeep so the distant, snowy Promontory Mountains were in the background when I photographed this Song Sparrow singing.
Portrait Of An Adult White-crowned Sparrow Eating Greasewood Seeds
When I look at this White-crowned Sparrow portrait I can count the orbital feathers of the bottom portion of the bird's eye and the rictal bristles near the bill.
Song Sparrows In The Marsh Of Farmington Bay
I probably see Song Sparrows more often and in more habitats than any other sparrow species here in Utah. I am delighted by that.
Wild Roses Provide Cover for Sparrows, Finches And Juncos
Small birds like these White-crowned Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and American Goldfinches need cover that provides safety for them from predators.
Autumn Male Spotted Towhee
I photographed some sparrows, goldfinches, juncos, and this lovely male Spotted Towhee that was eating the fruit of a Fragrant Sumac tree.
Male Dark-eyed Junco Close Up At Farmington Bay WMA
As common as Dark-eyed Juncos are I have surprisingly few photos of them in my galleries and that is why I get excited when I can add a new photo of them to my portfolio.
White-crowned Sparrow Adult Perched In A Hackberry Tree
I photographed this adult White-crowned Sparrow about two weeks ago in northern Utah while it perched on a hackberry tree on a hill with blooming rabbitbrush in the background.
Savannah Sparrow On Some Rocks At Farmington Bay WMA
Usually when I see and photograph Savannah Sparrows they are on barbed wire, fence posts, railings or on the ground so seeing a Savannah on rocks was a nice change for me.
West Desert Wandering – Birds, Bees, And Blooms
Even though I came home with very few photos I'm still glad I went wandering. I had great views, sunshine, birds to delight my eyes and ears and I soaked it all up like a thirsty sponge.