are among my favorite spring arrivals. Small, even for a sparrow, they sport a very visible rusty cap and are quite noisy with en emphatic fast trill.

They are quite well camouflaged as they forage in low bushes and on the ground. This bird is picking up nesting materials which you can see better if you click on the image.

Here is another shot of the same chipping sparrow. We saw this little guy at the Skunknett River Wildlife Sanctuary early this morning.