Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Survival




Our backyard has been taken over by birds...aggressive birds...not towards us but towards their own kind.

It started out with a few bird feeders...as time has progressed...the numbers have grown and the battle has begun. The quest for food has overridden the resting pose of a tranquil bird and instinct for survival has trumped any sense of brotherhood. Interesting to watch the strategies, triumphs and dominance of agression being played out in our backyard.

I have often wondered how a concentrated flock of birds could at an instant fly off without flying into one another...the stop action of the first photo seems to indicate that they are truly professional aviators with a knack for crash avoidance! I wonder if they have air traffic controllers!

Dan

10 comments:

J Cosmo Newbery said...

Yes, 'pecking order' has some real meaning in bird land.

Anonymous said...

Very cool photos :)

And is that snow in your yard?? Tell me it's not still there?? It was 91 here yesterday!!

Dan Felstead said...

J...great phrasing as usual! Thanks to you, now I know what pecking order means!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Alabama Heather...that is snow in our yard but it was in Early March when the birds began acting crazy! No snow now.

Dan

shabby girl said...

FANTASTIC PHOTOS!!!! Very impressive! The woodpeckers are truly gorgeous, aren't they?

Sunny said...

Really fantastic pictures! Somewhere Alfred Hitchcock is smiling.
Sunny :)

Dan Felstead said...

Shabygirl...they are favorite in this part of the country...wait I take that back...Hummingbirds are my favorite and the Woodpeckers are 2nd on my list!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

I think me and Alfred share the same cautious approach to birds!

Dan

DawnTreader said...

You've really caught the motion in these pictures!

septembermom said...

Awesome motion in the photos!