The Song Sparrow seemed to be my "bird of the week" last week. First, a colleague mentioned that she had a nest in her holly bush with some just-hatched chicks in it. She invited me over to take a look - and a photo.
I couldn't tell what they were just by looking at these blind and naked little bodies with gaping mouths but within a few minutes a chirping adult Song Sparrow could be seen perched nearby and then coming and going from the bush. At home I consulted my book on nests, hatchlings, etc. and this nest type seemed to fit the bill for Song Sparrows. This weekend while walking down the driveway a lot of chirping from a tree caught my attention and I spied this juvenile Song Sparrow at the edge of our swamp.
This must be a favorite spot for them since I see them here every summer. A little farther down the road, I saw this adult sitting on a branch and realized I had come full circle with this bird. Nest, hatchlings, fledgling, adult.
A pretty common little bird but not every week that you see all the stages in their life cycle! Check out more birds and their photographer's stories at
Bird Photography Weekly.
He became quite defensive when hearing the call of another song sparrow coming from the I-Flyer. I assumed he was defending his nesting territory. He got pretty close which allowed for a couple of good photos but not wanting to upset him too much I stopped calling. 
Birding ethics has been a very hot topic this winter in Wisconsin, especially in regard to photography of the numerous Snowy Owls in the state. Photographers were seen approaching the birds too closely, releasing pet store white mice into the fields where they were hunting, trespassing on private property to get a better photo op and the like. This all seems very contrary to how "real" birders behave when in the field. What are your thoughts on birding ethics? Stop by Bird Photography Weekly at 
