In Toronto, we think of the Tree Sparrow as a winter bird:
Tree Sparrows nest in open shrubby vegetation in tundra.
Just before their migration north, some begin to sing their lovely song which has been called “fairy music.” My grandfather called it ” a Song Sparrow up an octave.”
i was able to photograph a Mute Swan coming in for a landing on this day:
Park scenes:
Some botany:
Sparrow in Ancient Egyptian Culture
According to the ancient Egyptians, sparrows would catch the souls of the recently deceased and carry them to heaven. (Years later, it became common for sailors to get sparrow tattoos in hopes that the birds would catch their souls if they died at sea.) The ancient Egyptians used a hieroglyph that represented the house sparrow. It was used as a determinative in the words “small,” “narrow,” or “bad.”
Miles Hearn