Saturday, June 4, 2011

Wildlife Photos: Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Here's a couple of shots I took today near a bridge leading to Hamahiga Island in Okinawa, Japan.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow isn't a bird that gets a lot of attention in my collection, they're fairly common around here. I see them everrywhere but, just haven't taken many photos of them.

There was a flock of them, making a racket right nearby so, I took a few photos just because it's the only wildlife I came across today other than some boys jumping off the bridge into the ocean.

I'm in the process of breaking-in a new camera and need to learn where all the controls are so, these little critters were good practice for me.

It may be mating season for these birds, for all I know. Not sure if you want to see those photos, though.  Birds have a right to privacy, too. So, I'll just give you an introduction to them here.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow looks similar to a House Sparrow, only they hang out at the edge of woods, farmlands and gardens.  They feed on seeds and grains. Notice the beak. It's built for munching on seeds, not bugs, fish, snakes or insects like most of the birds in my photo gallery.

For those interested in learning more about the Passer montanus, I'll turn you over to my good friends at THE WIKIPEDIA CHANNEL  They have plenty more information and even links you can go to and listen to the noises Eurasian Tree Sparrows make.

Tomorrow I'll be on the west coast of Okinawa trying to get some great shots of Dragonboat Races for you to see. So, it's time for me to get cameras, lenses, and this old body ready for another long, hard day. Hopefully, it'll be a sunny one, too!





4 comments:

Unknown said...

Love these photos... and yes, I know the experience of getting used to a new camera. Everything becomes good subject matter - and this case, these little fellas did very nicely indeed.

RyukyuMike said...

BE,
T%hanks. Hopefully I got tnhe dials, buttons, whistles and bells down better today!

AM Nichols said...

Love how you captured the texture of the feathers. Makes me want to reach out and touch the screen. Beautiful.

RyukyuMike said...

AM Nichols,
Thank you ! You just made me realize, I havn't put any of these l'il guys on my website. Guess I should go out and try to get some better shots.