The other sparrows that visit my yard come only infrequently. This is the first of the most reliable sparrow visitors, the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). As you see in these first shots, they often show up with the worst of the winter weather...if it starts to snow, I can get my camera ready for the Song Sparrows!

These first three photos were taken after a

heavy snow and, for here, unusually long cold

spell that didn’t melt the snow for an entire

week in January 2011.

© Bob Vuxinic

13 Jan 2011

© Bob Vuxinic

17 Apr 2012

© Bob Vuxinic

13 May 2012

© Bob Vuxinic

17 Apr 2012

The photos below were unusual in that the Song Sparrows showed up at my

feeder in the Spring, when the weather was beautiful, which proves that,

when you think that you have bird habits figured out, you’re sure to be wrong.

Some of these shots show the distinctive

marking of the Song Sparrow. They have

heavily striped bodies, but most often the

breast stripes converge into a central dark

blotch in the middle of the breast.

© Bob Vuxinic

13 Jan 2011