Another winter has come and gone and no Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca). During only two winters I’ve had one come to visit, over the course of perhaps fourteen years. Each of those two winters, just one individual that I saw and captured in pixels.

A large and chunky sparrow. The Fox Sparrow hangs out with other sparrows, so the size difference is easily spotted. That, and the warm reddish brown coloring make one easy to identify. They do a cute little shuffle as they search for seeds in the soil. One hop forward and then a jump back with both feet raking the soil.

I’ve read that they really like to have a brush pile close by. That should be easy to provide. Hoping that will make a difference. Maybe the other birds will like it too.