Many in the birding world don’t like Brown-headed Cowbirds much, for reasons that have been bandied about for years. But I have no problem with them, especially when one of them quite unexpectedly pops up into one of my images in a rather dramatic way.
Cowbirds were long called “Buffalo Birds” for their habit of following the huge, nomadic bison herds across western North America as they fed on the insects stirred up by the moving herds. As a western history buff I probably romanticize such scenes in my mind and enjoy it more than most when I actually witness anything similar.
1/2000, f/8, ISO 500, 100-400 @ 400mm
This past May I was photographing a herd of bison on Antelope Island when a cowbird that I didn’t even know was there flushed up in front of this bison cow and calf as they ambled along. It’s an image I like for a variety of reasons but largely because I think the bird adds interest and historical perspective.
Serendipity: – a happy accident, pleasant surprise, or fortunate mistake. Specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not searching for it
Some of the reasons I think the image is serendipitous:
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I didn’t expect the bird and I think it added to the image
- the cowbird is in silhouette from the shadow of the cow – which I believe works best in this case (and I’m generally not a fan of silhouettes)
- the bird is in an almost perfect position between the head of the cow and the out of focus foreground plants
- the wing position of the bird couldn’t be better, especially in silhouette
- exposure, light and position of the bison are all good
- all three subjects are sharp
Yes, I wish the out of focus vegetation in the foreground at lower left wasn’t there. But it was and I can live with it.
I’m probably over-analyzing here and it may be that this image appeals only to me.
But it does, so I thought I’d post it…
Ron
Wow! That’s a lovely shot! That’s certainly one of those things that you say “I didn’t know that.” Makes perfect sense. There weren’t that many cows way back when the buffalo roamed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen buffaloes that clean, you didn’t bathe them for the photo did you? :>)
Charlotte Norton
I am amazed at how much your photos and comments teach me! I have been a “naturalist” all my life, soaking up books and outdoor experiences, but I am learning lots of new stuff every week from your phenomenal skill and intellect.
That means a lot, Pam – I still enjoy the teaching aspect since I retired from the classroom 10 years ago (wow, time flies!). But I learn as much as others do from this process, from my research in preparing posts and from my knowledgeable readers.
Serendipity is such a gift. And almost always (for me) arrives at a time when I really need it. And I loved this image – thank you.
Thank you, Elephant’s Child.
This photo shows how the cow’s horns curve upward, whereas the bull’s tend to have a wider spread. I wonder what sex the baby is.
Who knows, Patty. I certainly don’t…
It is a neat shot. I see more brown-headed cowbirds than I do bison, so my attention has me spending more time studying the bison. There I like the nice eye contact, the contrasting color of adult and calf, and sharpness. I like serendipitous shots too and it is surprising how many interesting things show up in bird photos that the photographer doesn’t see until the image is processes, especially for birds in flight.
As usual I learned some things from your post. I was not aware of the “Buffalo Birds” story.
Thanks, Dave. And you’re absolutely right, those serendipitous shots do show up now and again and you often don’t even know it happened until you review your images. For me that takes some (just some) of the pain out of culling.
Of course, one has to be open to serendipity to recognize it; that is the job of a skilled and patient photographer. Lovely photo – on so many levels. Great shot!
Jan, you make a good point about recognizing serendipity. I shudder to think how many images with serendipitous merit I’ve deleted because I missed something subtle during the culling process.
I really like this image, even though I’m one who doesn’t care much for cowbirds. The reason I don’t is that I saw a PBS documentary a number of years ago showing what happened to a prothonotary warbler’s babies when the cowbird laid an egg in its nest. Even all these years later I find the memory of those images distressing. I’m sure they also serve a useful purpose somewhere, but I doubt I’ll ever become a fan of theirs. I like the contrast in size between the bison and the bird. Even though the calf is small for a bison, it’s still huge in comparison. The photo is a beautiful portrait of the bison.
I do understand your reaction to brood parasitism in this species, Susan – it’s very natural. But personally I’ve never fully grasped the bad press cowbirds get because of it, when so many other bird species (fish and insects too) do largely the same thing and get off comparatively scott free from criticism. I suspect that for many folks that disparity might be related to the much-loved warblers that are heavily impacted by the cowbirds but I just can’t find myself discriminating between species that are parasitized.
But then I’m a huge fan of evolution and these behaviors have been selected for naturally (as far as I know) so at my knowledge level at the moment I have no particular problem with the cowbird.
I’m certainly not saying my point of view is more valid than that of anyone else but that’s where I am at the moment…
I do understand where you are coming from, Ron. I am reminded that a couple of weeks ago I saw a tarantula that was paralyzed by a tarantula hawk and which was dragged off pretty quickly by the wasp. I know that’s parasitism. But then I don’t have the fondness for tarantulas that I do for birds. I probably was blind-sided by the PBS show, for reasons that made sense at the time. It occurs to me that it would be a good idea to rethink my position. After all, I took a whole class in parasitology back in college, which I believe I enjoyed. You are right that parasitism is a result of evolution, and it is hard to argue with that. Thanks for the perspective.
This is so GREAT! I just really love it when unexpected things like this happen. I love everything about it and the out-of-focus vegetation doesn’t bother me. There are too many other good things to look at.
I little serendipity is good for the soul, huh, Marya? Thank you.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this shot!!! Detail , expressions in both mama and baby are wonderful! Love Mama”s focus on the bird and baby’s concentration on sticking tightly by Mama. Compared to Mama Buffalo, bird looks so small it almost resembles a butterfly. Like symbolism of it being in buffalo’s shadow…represents the symbiotic relationship they have…how well the two species, in spite of incredible size differences, co-eist. Bird doesn’t look afraid, or like it’s about to fly very far. Don’t the cowbirds remove parasites (ex. ticks) from Buffalo and cattle? That’s an important job, I’d say…. Hey! Cowbirds DO have value!!!
Patty, I notice the size comparison between bird and bison too. But just imagine what that comparison would look like if the adult bison had been a big bull – they weigh about twice as much as a cow (about 1000 lbs vs 2000 lbs max for each sex).
Yes, you reminded me of the size of the bulls…and when I was driving a van in Buffalo land. There were the dark brown cows and their little red babies everywhere. As they were crossing the road in front of me, I suddenly realized that a HUGE black ,or almost black, bull was seriously thinking of charging me. A week before, a woman in a volkswagon was over turned by one of these guys and seriously injured. Suddenly, I felt something nibbling on my elbow…it was a scarred up, old, white donkey… that was hanging out with the buffalo herd. I yelped…Big Bad Bull, pawed and snorted a couple of times and decided I wasn’t worth the energy…gave me one last dirty look and joined the cows on the other side of the road. He seemed as big as a locomotive.
There’s something almost mystical about the photo to me – these ancient creatures so meticulously rendered, with the calf so bright. And then the cowbird, airborne, in silhouette, spurred upward from their path.
An unusual and beautiful picture.
That’s kinda the way I feel about it too, Alison. Thank you.
Wonderful shot!
Thanks, Sharon.
I like the image too, and agree with your reasons. Added serendipity for me is it gives me some idea of the size of a cowbird, and I also didn’t know that bison calves weren’t dark coloured. We have a wildlife sanctuary on the other side of Melbourne called Serendip where some breeding programs have been, and I think still are to a lesser extent, to re-introduce some species that used to live on the plains there but vanished with the extention of human activity. Its open most days and a lot of people visit.
I like the name of that sanctuary and its breeding program, Sonja. And yes, unlike the adults the very young calves are red but by this time of year they’ve become much darker.