Sunday, March 08, 2009

Spring Feast: White-throated Sparrow


While visiting with the “feeder birds” this afternoon I happened to notice movement on one of the dead perching sticks. A closer look revealed what I took to be a swarm of winged insects, possibly termites, crawling about.

Soon this White-throated Sparrow arrived and began to feed in a good demonstration of the natural food chain. The dead wood provides food for the insects who then becomes food for the sparrow who in turn becomes food for other creatures. The endless cycle of life and death continues.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it fun watching the birds do their thing so comfortably and allowing us to just witness their livlihoods.

Unknown said...

You can't sneak one by a sparrow. That's what I need here in Florida to protect our house from termites: a watch sparrow!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

The cycle of life is fascinating Coy, not to mention the food chain. Everything has its place and time.

Tom said...

Excellent picture and a perfect example of thefood chain..
I have more on the hunting of Hares over on Wiggers World today.. I was amused at your last comment Salty.. Poaching is something I did many many moons ago... over in the UK the set up is a bit different as the land is mostly private owned.. and not the towns or city's land. But poaching is still poaching and where as it was once a weekend outting for some it is now mostly a thing of the past. Most farmers are now more welcoming to have you on the land since the hunting of Foxes came in... You can now get shooting rights on farmland just for the asking... take rabbit and hare and pigeon by the bagfull in exchange for shooting the foxes.
Hunting dogs and sight hounds will always be kept by some... it seems its a way of life. Sunday afrternoons in the lcal pubs were at one time full of men and their dogs... rabbits would be shared out and stories swopped of the chase and the kill.
I have found it interesting how times and my own thoughts have changed on hunting.. now I hunt with the camera and the enjoyment is tenfold.
Tom

Shelley said...

Nice photo of the white throated sparrow! Glad he was able to get a good meal!

Meggie said...

The food chain is a tough concept to accept as a child. Even now, I'm not sure I like to think about it much. I don't always like to live in reality...thank heavens there are many places to which I can retreat. I meet the nicest people there....

Montanagirl said...

Nice photo of the Sparrow. I'm ready for spring! We had -7 this morning.

Anonymous said...

I think there is one of these in the collection of bird photos I will put online on Tuesday. Anyway, that and the white crowned sparrow are among my favorites.

Leedra said...

I photographed a bird this weekend that has the yellow in the same spot. I couldn't find anything in the book, but I will look at the white throated now to see if it is what I photographed.

Nice photo and info.

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