Have sparrows become my favorite bird? This winter, I’ve spent more time with them than with any other birds and I’ve featured them repeatedly in my blog postings. I tend to be more at ease with the familiar and the comfortable, rather than the exotic and extreme. and sparrows fit well into my world, like this Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) in the snow.
Photographing these small birds is a challenge, though, because it is unusually tough to isolate them from their often cluttered background and they are in constant motion. I like the way that I was able to capture this sparrow, with the small patch of exposed grass amidst the snow. The light was pretty strong and blew out a few details in the chest feathers, but if cast an interesting shadow.
Perhaps sparrows are not my favorite birds, but we are good friends who spend a lot of time together.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
You have come a looooooooong way with your birding.
I like that shot but he looks very cold in spite of the sun. I also like finding the familiar so you don’t have to look them up in a book.
I’m a big sparrow fan.
[…] Sparrow and shadow […]
it’s a wonderful portrait, well done Mike!
It’s a very good thing to cultivate relationships with good friends. Always.