His Eye Is On The Sparrow

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His Eye Is On The Sparrow

December 27, 2020 by Mike Powell

“I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” These are some of the words of one of my parents’ favorite hymns and I think of them whenever I see one of those little birds, like this Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) that I spotted last Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

I love the background of this photo so much that there was no way that I was going to crop in closely. The plants form an almost grid-like pattern that find really appealing and the muted browns are a good complement to the earthy tones of the sparrow. Even the light was cooperative, highlighting the subject without blowing out the lightest areas.

What do you think?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | 19 Comments

19 Responses

on December 27, 2020 at 8:21 am | Reply Patricia M Osborne

Lovely picture with a fabulous background and wonderful to recap those memories.
on December 27, 2020 at 8:21 am | Reply Steve Schwartzman

I know what you mean about backgrounds; sometimes they really grab us.
on December 27, 2020 at 9:25 am | Reply weisserwatercolours

….the photograph perfectly compliments that old hymn because not only is the Sparrow enmeshed in that branch-laden enclosure, but also surrounded by thorns—and yet, and yet, it is free and at liberty to simply flit itself out of there as quickly as it flitted in. Quite the visual metaphor for an old old verse from an old old hymn. Lovely, on this third day of Christmas!
on December 27, 2020 at 9:26 am | Reply weisserwatercolours

….er, second day of Christmas.
on December 27, 2020 at 9:43 am | Reply Lee

His eye IS on the Sparrow, especially when He created them with a color that helps camouflage them. Great photo!
on December 27, 2020 at 10:35 am | Reply Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography

Oh yes, keep the environment. Very nice 😁
on December 27, 2020 at 4:24 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

I love it for all the same reason you stated. Sweet image!
- on December 27, 2020 at 4:41 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Eliza.
on December 27, 2020 at 4:38 pm | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

I think, if I go by the thorns, that those are hawthorns (Crataegus). Good protection for small birds. They’re sharp.
- on December 27, 2020 at 4:41 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for the assist with the plant identification. I had no clue at all about what they were.
  - on December 27, 2020 at 4:49 pm New Hampshire Garden Solutions
    
    You’re welcome. They could also be black locust but I think hawthorn because of the long thin thorns.
on December 28, 2020 at 3:32 am | Reply Michael Scandling

Perfect.
on December 28, 2020 at 4:18 am | Reply krikitarts

Good choice to keep the whole background. It all works so well. I’m sure the sparrow would be proud to be able to display this image at home.
- on December 28, 2020 at 6:42 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Gary. I love the mental picture of the sparrow hanging up its portrait. 🙂
on December 28, 2020 at 3:11 pm | Reply corry otulakowski

lovely. so is the song.
on December 28, 2020 at 3:15 pm | Reply pcotul

lovely. so is the song.
- on December 28, 2020 at 4:25 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, I love the song too.
on January 24, 2021 at 2:52 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Lovely! Looks like your eagle eye was on this sparrow!
- on January 24, 2021 at 3:54 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  🙂