Do all sparrows look the same to you? I am definitely no bird expert, but I could immediately see that the sparrow that I spotted yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge was different from the ones that I am used to seeing. The first thing that I noticed was that it was lighter in color than the usual sparrows and that the cap on its head was red, rather than the typical brown.
When I returned home and looked at the images on my computer, I also noted the two-toned bill and the black spot in the middle of its chest. All of these characteristics made it relatively easy to identify it as an American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea). I could not remember if I had seen this species before, so I checked my blog postings and found that it has been more than five years since I last photographed one.
It is easy to dismiss commonplace subjects, like sparrows, as not worthy of your time and attention. If you do so, though, you will miss the chance to discover their beauty. Like people, birds are not merely members of their species—they are unique individuals. I recommend spending time with them and getting to know them better.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Sparrows and such are hard for me, since my 70-300mm means I have to get closer, and that often means birds flying in every direction. Still, things like that two-toned bill and the black spot can be identifiers even in less-than-perfect photos.
On another subject, last Sunday it rained all day, but I went out and shot some flowers anyway. Looking at those on the computer, I saw a tiny, jewel-like bit of blue in the background of one photo. I wondered if it possibly could have been a damselfly. Yesterday, I may have gotten my answer, when the first damselfly I’ve seen this year landed on the boat I was working on. It won’t be long.
Yes, it is definitely tougher to capture detailed shots of little birds at 300mm, but sometimes you can get lucky. Damselflies already? Yikes. It will probably be at least a couple of months before we see them here (we have a forecast for tommorrow for 2-4 inches of snow).
Nice Mike! It is fun to photograph the smaller birds! But sometimes it a challenge to get close, either distance wise or focal length challenged! But still fun to photograph and ID!
For me, it is mostly a case of luck and patience with the small birds. As for ID, I often have trouble identifying birds in the field and have to wait until I get home to do so. As I like to say, I follow the law of the Old West–shoot first and ask questions later. 🙂
I’d probably go so far as to say all small birds look the same to me. And, all small bird that sit on the roof of our bird house get named Snoopy – that’s a fact.
It’s very true about becoming complacent about the everyday. Lovely photos. I believe there is an app for phones which will identify species from photos. And if there isn’t, there should be.
I think there is such an app, though I am not sure how good it is. There is such variability caused by age, gender, and season that it would be tough for it to be fully reliable. I am a relative neophyte when it comes to identifying birds, but I have heard heated debates among experts trying to agree on the identification of a subject.
“His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.!”
I sing because I’m happy…