driveway art: song sparrow

[asakiyume]

We have some sunny days, and I finished the job I was working on, so I drew a song sparrow. The song sparrow is found throughout most of North America, "continuous from the Aleutians to the eastern United States," says Cornell Ornithology. They're small everywhere bird with a lovely song. Both their song and their plumage varies across the continent.







Scientific name "Melospiza melodia." You can hear samples of their songs here. (The ones around here sound most like the fourth recording down.)

Comments

[osprey_archer]

What a beautiful chalk drawing!

[asakiyume]

Thank you! I was very happy to be able to seize the time and draw it.

[light_of_summer]

Beautifully drawn, and lovely to hear—thank you!

I'm pretty sure I occasionally hear Song Sparrows in my neighborhood, but the local song has too many quick and varied notes for my brain to feel sure that I recognize its pattern.

We definitely have more White-Crowned Sparrows, here—their song also varies with location, but it's less melodically complex (at least to my ears).

I think we probably also have more California Towhees and Dark-eyed Juncos than Song Sparrows—those are both also new world sparrow species, but they don't say so in their common names. Their songs are a lot less complex than those of Song Sparrows.

On rare occasions, I've also seen Spotted Towhees out here—now there is a sparrow that looks prettier than it sounds!

I just did a count at allaboutbirds.org—they list 43 species in the family of new world sparrows, Passerellidae! (Yay, birds! \😄/ )

But the prettiest birdsong I've so far heard in this region was that of a Bewick's Wren that lived in my previous neighborhood—allaboutbirds.org says their individual males can have from 9 to 23 songs each. Ahhhhhhhh! 😌

[asakiyume]

Lovely song from the Bewick's wren! Someone on Mastodon posted a marsh wren singing--that was also a beautiful song.

We get dark-eyed juncos here, but only in the winter. The towhees we have are Eastern towhees--but I've only seen one once. It's similar to the spotted towhee though! The white-crowned sparrow is so pretty! The one I see here that's pretty like that is the white-throated sparrow--maybe in your area too?

[light_of_summer]

Wellllll, the map on allaboutbirds.org says that we do get nonbreeding White-Throated Sparrows, here, but I don't think I've ever spotted one that I recognized. I may have heard their song, though—the recording that I just played sounded a bit familiar.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[sovay]

We have some sunny days, and I finished the job I was working on, so I drew a song sparrow.

It's gorgeous. I love the energy of its song.

[asakiyume]

Thank you, and yes! It's a song that's strong enough to lift a mood.

[summersgate]

Your bird is wonderful!

[asakiyume]

I'm delighted you think so--it was very fun to draw ^_^

[zdenka]

Beautiful!

[asakiyume]

Thank you very much!

[sonia]

How lovely!

[asakiyume]

It's a real pleasure to hear their songs when I'm walking by open areas :-)

[smokingboot]

Your song sparrows are wonderful!

[asakiyume]

Thank you kindly! It's actually all one sparrow, just with closeups on him, but I'm delighted you like him!

[heleninwales]

I love the chalk drawing but I have to smile at the idea of a song sparrow. Our sparrows just shout "CHEEP-CHEEP-CHEEP-CHEEP-CHEEP-CHEEP" very loudly, especially considering they're such a small bird.

[asakiyume]

We have sparrows that do the cheeping as well--house sparrows, notably, which live happily the world over. But then there are some like this guy with a nice song. For small birds with LOUD VOICES I always think of wrens. It's hard to believe such a loud voice has room to fit in such small birds. (It's a more interesting song than just CHEEP CHEEP but still, wow! so loud!)

[mallorys_camera]

Ohhhh! I love that bird! 😀

[asakiyume]

Hurray! Ask not for whom the song sparrow sings; he sings for youuuuu

[sartorias]

Wbat a lovely thing for passers-by to discover!

[asakiyume]

I sincerely hope so. I think one of the best things we can do for our very sad country is make people feel like they have reason to feel fondly toward one another, even unknown neighbors, and I'd like to do this in part by sharing things like this (I also just enjoy doing it, but ...)

[sartorias]

In total agreement here! There's nothing whatsoever amiss with working on art in one's space, and enjoying both process and product, but if one is moved to share, well, more get a chance to enjoy!

[littlerhymes]

Gorgeous!

[asakiyume]

^_^

Very happy you think so!

[minoanmiss]

I love it when you do this! So lovely!

[asakiyume]

I love it when the stars align to make it possible! I have to have some free time, and there have to be a few days of consecutive sunshine... at least two. (Today there are thunderstorms forecast, but at least it had three days singing from the driveway.)

[athenais]

That is so cheerful, like their song!

[asakiyume]

^_^ Thanks! I definitely find them very cheering and cheerful.

[yamamanama]

Those are really cool drawings.

[asakiyume]

Thanks! It's all one drawing, just with closeups. I looked at several photos of song sparrows and then used mainly one for my model.

[genarti]

Oh, this is absolutely gorgeous! You've really captured the sparrow, and also its magical outpouring of sound. I love it to bits.

[asakiyume]

I'm so happy you like it! I was really glad to have a chance to celebrate this beautiful singer.