House sparrows are another group of birds that often get a very bad rap. Many of us are familiar with them from watching them dart in and out from under our cars in grocery store parking lots. I find them endlessly fascinating.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
This morning, after a rather intense storm, I went out to the yard to take a few pictures. The telephone/electricity pole in the corner of our backyard has been occupied by house sparrows for a while. I’m not sure who was hanging out there last year, but I have seen a variety of birds up there–chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, tufted titmice, and flickers. This morning, I came upon a flicker busily removing nest material from the nest inside the pole. Yes, she was kicking them out. While this was going on, they came back. I watched as they watched her. They voiced their displeasure, as did the flicker. What surprised me was when the house sparrows dove at the flicker and chased her away. I imagine the flicker is about four times their size, but they didn’t care. No one was kicking them out of their house. It was a pretty impressive display. Click on pictures to enlarge.
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor
© Chris Taylor