Fox Sparrow
Yes, winter is back here in Iowa and we received a bit of snow last night. My Nikon Z6 III came back from Nikon’s service right in time, where a small issue was fixed and the camera was checked and cleaned. A lot of birds moved in this morning and I was happy to create some pictures in the front yard today, with the snow as a light enhancer.
My attention went mainly to the sparrows that are usually here only in the winter and during migration time. They feed on the ground below our bird feeders and the challenge is to get a shot without any seeds or bird droppings on the snow.
Fox Sparrows are larger than other sparrows. They scratch often between leaves in search for insects or seeds. These birds spend the winter in the southern parts of the US and breed in northern Canada and Alaska.
American Tree Sparrow
We don’t see the American Tree Sparrow always up here on the bluffs above the valley but quite often along the Mississippi and its tributary rivers during winter. Here is an interesting fact I didn’t know, despite their name the females build their nests on the ground, which is of course not here, but high up in northern Canada.
Dark-eyed Junco
And here is the bird I call the ”winter indicator”. With the snow that fell overnight and with the low temperatures that came with it probably over 100 juncos were present today around the house. During the warmer days about a week ago only a handful was still here, but the experience from the last twenty years taught me, winter is not over in eastern Iowa until the last Dark-eyed Junco has moved up north. Much warmer weather is expected later this week. Will see if some juncos still stay here or say good bye for the season…
All photos: Nikon Z6 III, Nikon NIKKOR Z 600 f/6.3 VR S