Last Wednesday I spotted this little sparrow at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I thought it was a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), but decided to check with some birding experts on Facebook who were able to confirm my initial suspicions. It did take me a little while longer to get a response than usual, however, because my proposed identification was correct. I tend to get quicker responses when I am wrong—folks will often jump in really quickly to correct me.
Although Song Sparrows are one of the most common sparrow species where I live, I love trying to get shots of them whenever I can. In this case, I was happy with the simple composition and minimalist color palette that I was able to capture in this image—all of the different shades of brown give the image a harmonious feel that I find pleasing.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Nice Mike! The whole color palette of the scene works together!
I enjoy sepia-toned photos, and this certainly suits the bird. I’ve just realized that you have an advantage when it comes to these “little flitty things” — you have fewer leaves on the trees and bushes during the winter.
That is absolutely an advantage in the winter. When the trees are covered with leaves, the degree of difficulty is multiplied–there are more birds and I can hear them, but I can’t see them.
Sparrows are tricky to identify because there are so many kinds and they often look quite similar. The song sparrow is much easier to identify when seen from the front, due to the central spot on their breast. And hearing them sing helps a lot too. This photo is spectacular, Mike, highlighting the beautiful markings, the back and face.
Thanks, Jet. The central spot sure does help with song sparrows, but in this case I never got a look at the front of the bird. When it comes to songs, there are only a few birds that I can reliably identify by their songs. In a few months, hopefully I will see some warblers coming through. They can be a little tricky too, but at least they are more colorful than sparrows. 🙂
The color harmony and composition are beautiful, as is the sparrow itself. LBBs — little brown birds — are underrated.
Very harmonious, indeed! You (and sparrow) make browns very beautiful. 🙂
Sometimes I enjoy muted soft tones, like browns and grays, which are somehow soothing for me.
Nice article you have made. I really appreciate your efforts !
It’s comforting to know that even an experienced and talented US birder / photographer like you sometimes has to check up on sparrow identification. As a Brit who doesn’t get out to your country very often I find your multitude of sparrows a bit of a nightmare 🙂 LBJs as we call them here – Little Brown Jobs – are always good to see, but remain the bane of our lives when we bird in north America!