Sam Jr. (Song Sparrow) Morning Portrait

In 2024, I had the blessing of bonding with a particularly bold, friendly song sparrow whom I affectionately named "Sam" (in honor of Samwise Gamgee from the "Lord of the Rings") who frequently perched nearby and sang for me when he saw me walking in our neighborhood. Notably, Sam loved to wait in the bushes lining our backyard and quickly make himself visible to me, his favorite audience for his many beautiful songs. As we finally reach the end of winter in 2025, I've had the double blessing of getting the same treatment from his perky son, whom I've named "Sam Jr." I can recognize many of his father's songs but with new additions, to make them Sam Jr.'s own unique melodies. One late February morning, Sam Jr. saw me leaving our backyard and perched on top of this twig just some feet in front of me, singing his heart out and giving me one of the luckiest photo opportunities I've ever had. I look forward to even more happy moments with him!