Increasingly I find myself peering into trees as we move deeper into autumn, listening and watching for signs of small birds that may be hidden therein. The process can be somewhat maddening and often results in a sore neck, but my patience is sometimes rewarded and I manage to get a clear shot of one of the birds. Getting the shot, though, is only half of the challenge—identifying the bird can be equally frustrating.
Sparrow species can be particularly problematic, because so many of them are so similar in appearance. Last Thursday I photographed this sparrow at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As is generally the case, I did not worry about trying to identify the bird while I was in the field, but waited to do so at home. I went back and forth in my birding guide and concluded that it was probably a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia).
I have learned not to be overconfident in my bird identifications, though, and posted it to a Facebook birding forum. I felt gratified when a more experience birder confirmed my identification. It takes time, but I feel like I am gradually getting better at seeing the details that distinguish one species from another.
In many ways, my photography journey is focused on learning to see the world in new and different ways. As noted photographer Dorothea Lang so aptly put it, “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Very nice images Mike! Enjoyed seeing them! I always have difficulty ID’ing sparrows & some other small birds! That is why I like photographing Eagles & Ospreys! Just kidding! If it has wings I like photographing them!
Thanks, Reed. I am with you in trying to photograph anything with wings (or even without them). As for identification, I tend to follow the law of the Old West–shoot first and ask questions later. 🙂
I obviously don’t have the same wealth of experience you have but I am hopeless at identifying small brown birds. I would have guessed this was a sparrow and that would be where my knowledge ended. The portraits are fantastic, so crisp and detailed, and I love the little catchlight in the eye.
Thanks, Laura. I’m always trying to get a catchlight in the eye of my subjects, because of the way that it adds life to the portraits. As for the “small brown birds,” I think I tend to have about 50 percent accuracy when I try to identify them.
Looks a bit like a female House Sparrow to me. Lovely shots.
Thanks, I have to say, Vicki, that I am not super confident in my identification of this sparrow, so I may well be off in my identification. I think, though, that the breasts of female House Sparrows tend not be as heavily streaked as the sparrow in my photos.
I’ve given up on sparrows and warblers. Impossible. Or maybe I am just lazy. I love enlarging the images so I can see the texture of the feathers and feet, the little jewel-like ring around the eye. It’s an amazing thing.