The Bird Collection

American Tree Sparrow, Snowy Field

On the Edge of the Swamp

We were out for a morning birding hike through the forests and fields just north of Montréal’s Dorval airport. It was late winter—cold enough for the ground and, more crucially, the groundwater to be frozen solid. That meant rare access to areas usually hidden beneath soggy marshes and impassable terrain.

At the edge of one such frozen swamp—an ecotone where forest meets wetland and wildlife often thrives—an American Tree Sparrow appeared. Camouflaged almost perfectly against the winter-yellow grasses, it landed softly, then paused just long enough for the breeze to still and the lens to focus.

In that moment, everything aligned: the season, the light, the frozen ground beneath our feet. A subtle encounter with the natural world—gracious, fleeting, and perfectly timed.