I have been photographing so many birds recently that one of my first thoughts upon arrival in Brussels yesterday was to look for birds. I did manage to get a few shots of some sparrows in a small park near the Central Train Station, the neighborhood in which my hotel is located. However, I quickly realized that the 4X zoom of my little Canon A620 is a limiting factor in getting close enough for a decent shot. I also know that at 7.1 megapixxels, I can’t afford to dramatically crop the photos.
I’m happy with these two images. I captured the first sparrow on a snowy evergreen bush. Snow may not be special to many, but my part of the USA has seen only a very small amount of snow this year. The second sparrow is perched on the railing surrounding the plants and is looking into them. I think he was singing so much that the bottom part of his beak is blurred.
I haven’t yet been able to identify these sparrows, but I wonder if they are different from the ones that I typically see in suburban Virginia.
Sparrow in Brussels
Sparrow on a fence
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I think that they look like House sparrows. they may be common, but they are so cute its always a pleasure to see photos of them.
I’m checking out sources to be sure on identifications. Some of the on-line resources suggest that the European sparrows may be somewhat different from American ones (and that they are sometimes called buntings).
It’s good to see some snow in your images, along with the familiar bird.
I had to cross the Atlantic to get the snow, but it’s finally in some of my photos.
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Ah, the ubiquitous House Sparrow. I guess we should be impressed that this species is so successful, if rather boring.