This photograph was captured during a backyard birdwatching session where I was trying to attract a number of frequent visitors such as orioles, bluejays and cardinals. Of course, along with these birds come large numbers of very common house sparrows and chickadees of which I already have many photographs. Among them, and to my surprise, I spotted this one chipping sparrow which is quite rare in my area. As he moved among the branches, I was able to capture a number of images of which this is my favourite.

Nikon D4 with Nikkor 200-400mm + 1.7x Teleconverter | Exposure 1/500sec @ f/6.7 | ISO 6400
Chipping Sparrow, by Claudio Bacinello

Award Winner: Photo of the Day | October 23
Award Score: 68.5 (Value 13, Clarity 12.5, Composition 18, Style 12.5, Skill 12.5)
Photo of the Day Award Category: Wildlife Photography
Photograph Location: Thornhill, Ontario | Canada

Photographer: Claudio Bacinello (Thornhill, Canada) Registered
Born in Italy, Claudio now lives in Thornhill, Canada where he exercises his passion for photography. Over a career spanning three decades Claudio has delved into a number of photographic disciplines including: weddings, portraits, product, corporate and stock. His current focus is on travel, wildlife, nature and adding to his extensive stock library. He continues to travel the world in search of subjects and stories with a particular affection for Africa and South America. His work has been published globally and, in addition, is available as fine art images for private and corporate décor.

Website: http://photographicvisions.ca/
Gallery: http://claudio-bacinello.artistwebsites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Photographic-Visions/