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Description
When summer ends, I tend to feel kind of down about all the birds that leave and migrate south for the winter. Once winter settles in (or tries to, here) I remember all the things I love about it--and the birds that spend their winter here. The juncos, the hawks, the owl irruptions, the variety of ducks that winter on Lake Michigan; these are all the birds that have me wanting to get outside in the ice, snow, and below-freezing temperatures.

Pictured here are one of those birds. This is Spizella arborea, the American Tree Sparrow, who along with the juncos, always signify the coming of winter for me. They almost perfectly replace their summer counterparts, the Chipping Sparrow, who they share many of their looks and habits with. The tree sparrow however has a distinguishing feature, the dark spot on the breast, that sets them apart from the Chipping Sparrow. There are many other subtle differences as well, all of which you'll know to appreciate if you pay attention to these "little brown birds" as much as I do!

I actually meant to add more to this picture, but it's been sitting around my computer for over a month and I figure it's time to post it so I can work on new stuff. He seems to be a pretty happy sparrow just how he is.

Description
When summer ends, I tend to feel kind of down about all the birds that leave and migrate south for the winter. Once winter settles in (or tries to, here) I remember all the things I love about it--and the birds that spend their winter here. The juncos, the hawks, the owl irruptions, the variety of ducks that winter on Lake Michigan; these are all the birds that have me wanting to get outside in the ice, snow, and below-freezing temperatures.

Pictured here are one of those birds. This is Spizella arborea, the American Tree Sparrow, who along with the juncos, always signify the coming of winter for me. They almost perfectly replace their summer counterparts, the Chipping Sparrow, who they share many of their looks and habits with. The tree sparrow however has a distinguishing feature, the dark spot on the breast, that sets them apart from the Chipping Sparrow. There are many other subtle differences as well, all of which you'll know to appreciate if you pay attention to these "little brown birds" as much as I do!

I actually meant to add more to this picture, but it's been sitting around my computer for over a month and I figure it's time to post it so I can work on new stuff. He seems to be a pretty happy sparrow just how he is.