Clay-coloured Sparrow in Grasslands nesting grounds

Clay-coloured sparrow, 

with crisp white and brown markings © SB

Clay-coloured Sparrows pass through our yard in Regina, Saskatchewan, every May.

I look forward seeing these small, crisply marked birds, and so it was lovely to hear their familiar buzzing when we visited Grasslands National Park in June.

Then, as we walked along a trail by the old Belza place, a high-contrast Clay-coloured Sparrow landed on a stalk beside us and sang.

It watched as we passed, ruffled its feathers in the wind, and sang again. As much as many of us would call bzzzzzz or tssssip a song....

Clay-coloured sparrow, ruffled by the wind in the grasslands © SB

What is this? A Clay-coloured Sparrow.

Location: Near Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan.

Photo date: June 24, 2015.

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