Swamp Sparrow

It was overcast and cool with the wind when I arrived at Reifel to help out in the afternoon. Not many visitors either so it was fairly quiet on the trails. Providing an interesting start to today’s walk,

… was this Eurasion Wigeon that was hanging around in the house pond. The White-throated Sparrow was still present near the entrance, but I was not having any luck with getting photos. After checking the east dyke trail I made my way towards the tower as the morning walk had turned up some Swamp Sparrows. They were located in the marsh off the north dyke as you make your way to the outer west dyke. Near the second bench I could hear the chip call,

… and one Swamp Sparrow popped up into view.

While it would appear the bird was ready to take flight here, it was actually just calling. I could hear two Swamp Sparrows out in the marsh.

These birds can be challenging to see and photograph, so this opportunity definitely made my day.

Swamp & Harris’s Sparrows

Despite being an overcast and drizzly day I made my way out to Reifel this afternoon. While no longer a nemesis bird, I would still like to get some pictures of the Swamp Sparrow again this year. It did not take too long after arriving in the tower area to get my first fleeting glimpse, but then nothing. I thought to myself again that would probably be it,

… but some time later one of the Swamp Sparrows popped up.

It was feeding on the seeds atop the tall grass.

It was some distance away and the light was poor, but it was good to finally get some good looks and pictures of it for this winter. Bonus bird of the day,

… was the Harris’s Sparrow on the way out with the last of the light.

Swamp Sparrow

Finally getting a photo of a Swamp Sparrow earlier this month does not mean I now put it on the back burner. The photographer in me is always striving for a better shot. There a few spots locally where they continue to be seen and this afternoon I was back at Reiflel. Recently they have been frequenting the reeds right across from the tower. While watching from the base of the tower it was not long before I heard and then saw the Swamp Sparrows. There were two that I could see this afternoon.

While spending a lot of time foraging down low amongst the reeds,

… they would occasionally pop up. When they did so, you just had to hope for an unobstructed view. I lucked out with these shots of one of the Swamp Sparrows.