Hello Tweeters,

I enjoyed Denis DeSilvis's description of the Robin that captured a small garter snake -- and his speculation on how it would feed the snake to its chicks.

It reminded me of a nature drama we observed once in the desert (Capitol Reef, along the Waterpocket Fold). We were driving on a very rugged dirt road when we were stopped by a small tussle on the road ahead. A White-crowned Sparrow was attacking a Jerusalem cricket (these grow up to 3.5 inches long and can inflict a painful bite). The cricket was bigger than the sparrow's head, and resisting the attack. The sparrow would lunge in to peck, hop back out of reach, and lunge in again. It reminded us of a mongoose attacking a cobra, or a kangaroo rat attacking a scorpion -- it was that size ratio and level of danger for the predator. After about 15 minutes, we realized we had to get moving (dusk was upon us), so we started the truck and eased forward. The sparrow must have disabled the cricket enough at that point that it was willing to pick it up and carry it off the road -- it was certainly not going to abandon the meal after such a struggle! This was in October, so the sparrow would have been foraging for itself, not for nestlings.

I have never viewed White-crowned Sparrows in the same way since.

Good birding,

Kristi Hein
Anacortes
khc
-at-
picturesandwords.com
_________________________________