Golden-crowned Sparrow

We don't get much 'fall' here in Coastal California, so I was stoked to capture this guy against a orangey backdrop which suggests the season. This Pacific/Western species breeds from Alaska to British Columbia and retires to Washington, Oregon, and California for the winter. They're common in Bay Area thickets, woodlands, and chaparral between October and April, but they favor low tangles and rarely assume photogenic perches. I was happy this guy buckled that trend while I was out birding (hence the small rig and not the R5 + 600/4).

Vasona County Park, Santa Clara County, California, 10/6/21
Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II
1/800 at f/5.6, ISO 800.