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Sparrows and Krakatoa
Dec. 23rd, 2018 11:27 pmSmall Sparrow army out sparrowing away at the cake feeder yesterday afternoon, although it was really too dark and grey for photography. Two of the dominant hens sat on top of the cake, without any obvious friction or pecking order issues, and they pecked away at it, eating, but also sending down a steady hail of fragments to the dozen or so birds waiting below on the ground. The whole thing appeared very well organized, and I'm sure it was. Those are smart little birds, and highly social. Everyone got well fed with little fuss or effort. Having that many birds there made for many eyes to watch for predators, too. I'm guessing, although have no real way to know, that these are the families from my Sparrow colony, with the matrons guiding the young through their first winter.
House Sparrows are one of my favourites, along with Crows, and American Robins.
I'm starting to pick up the odd casual Finch at the tube feeder too. Since there's no real snow, they can still find seeds they like better than what I'm offering, but once it does snow, they'll know the feeder is here.
*****
Das Beeb has some wonderful pictures of Krakatoa. It's apparently been ramping up for a bit, and I've just not been paying attention. Saturday's eruption clouds are heavy and brown, so lots of finely pulverized, fresh material being ejected, and not just steam explosions and the occasional boulder getting launched like in recent years.
From these pictures, it's ambiguous whether there's really a second crater, or if that was just the head of a nuee. Krakatoa did this weird thing in 1883 where at least a dozen secondary craters opened up across the island, which would be interesting to see, although of course that ended rather badly for the locals.
House Sparrows are one of my favourites, along with Crows, and American Robins.
I'm starting to pick up the odd casual Finch at the tube feeder too. Since there's no real snow, they can still find seeds they like better than what I'm offering, but once it does snow, they'll know the feeder is here.
*****
Das Beeb has some wonderful pictures of Krakatoa. It's apparently been ramping up for a bit, and I've just not been paying attention. Saturday's eruption clouds are heavy and brown, so lots of finely pulverized, fresh material being ejected, and not just steam explosions and the occasional boulder getting launched like in recent years.
From these pictures, it's ambiguous whether there's really a second crater, or if that was just the head of a nuee. Krakatoa did this weird thing in 1883 where at least a dozen secondary craters opened up across the island, which would be interesting to see, although of course that ended rather badly for the locals.
