Featured Image - Winter 99

Fox Sparrow  

Sparrows of all kinds are generally classed as nuisance birds by many folks.  Here in my home state of Oklahoma, we have our share of House and Field Sparrows, which can be quite a nuisance. Fox Sparrows on the other hand, are relatively rare and only present for a brief time each year as they migrate on to warmer winter homes.  This image is special to me because I had tried in vain for three years to photograph them in a natural setting.  My luck changed last winter after a record snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow on our landscape.

As an avid bird photographer, I have found studying their habits and biology gives me numerous advantages in the field.  Knowledge of where any given bird might be found, how it behaves, and the ability to identify species encountered are a just a few of them.  I knew a heavy snow would radically change the habits of all ground foraging species. The evening following the storm, I scouted a large wooded area behind my home which opened into a clearing.  At the edge of the clearing was a large brush pile left previously by woodcutters.  I spotted a pair of Fox Sparrows perched at the far end of the brush pile, but they scattered upon my approach. 

Early the next morning, I returned with my camera rig and a small bag of seeds. I scattered the seeds on the ground near the brush and set up 20 feet back.  For the next 4 ½ hours I waited as numerous birds swarmed down from the brush pile and feverishly fed on the seeds, but no Fox Sparrows could be seen.  Had the pair headed on south early that morning.?  Just when my hands and feet were about to succumb to the 15-degree temperature, I saw them out of the corner of my eye.  They slowly worked their way toward the seeds, and I suddenly felt warm again.  Finally, one flew down while the other “stood watch” in a small tree adjacent to the brush pile.  I quickly focused, held my breath, and snapped 12 frames continuously before he jumped out of the frame. This image is the best of the 12, and for me, was worth the five-hour wait.  

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