Lincolns Sparrow and Mayfly

The Lincoln’s sparrow seasonally occupies virtually all of the North American continent. It nests on the ground in the grasslands from Alaska south to Central Nebraska and winters as far south as El Salvador.  I found this little energetic omnivore carrying mouthfuls of mayflies to her nest in the grass below an old stump.  She consistently landed on this tip of a branch to look around for predators before she dropped into the grass with food for her chicks.  I didn’t walk over to look at the nest for fear of creating a scent trail that might lead a coyote to the chicks later.  Her predictable stop on the branch did provide me with an opportunity to set up and prefocus on her perch and to photograph a small busy bird, usually a difficult subject.