![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/vesper-sparrow-4727-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nVesper Sparrows are “dust bathers”.\u00a0 They do it so often that they’re known for having puffs of dust fly off of them when they’re flushed and take off.\u00a0 In fact, Birds of North America Online says they’re “not observed to bathe in water”.\u00a0 This Vesper Sparrow didn’t read the book.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a01\/3200 f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n When we’re in the Centennial Valley of Montana I sometimes\u00a0drive the much more isolated\u00a0North Road\u00a0as we’re looking for birds.\u00a0 It’s a very long\u00a0and dusty dirt road\u00a0but sometimes it pays off in raptors.\u00a0 Earlier this month it paid off in a\u00a0bathing Vesper Sparrow instead, which we found fluttering around a little spring flowing next to the road.\u00a0 This birds bath began cautiously…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/2500 f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0but as in most little birds it soon became quite frenetic about it.\u00a0 I was happy to get a good light angle\u00a0and eye contact for the performance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/2500 f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0The sparrow seemed to deliberately fluff its feathers before crouching down into the water to shake…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/2500 f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0which makes sense because the feather surfaces would make better contact with the water when fluffed.\u00a0 The feather and body contortions of the bird were\u00a0quite impressive.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/3200 f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n When the bath was complete the sparrow landed on a nearby wire to shake and dry off in the sun.\u00a0 I thought it was interesting behavior (despite the lack of a catch light in the eye and the ugly, shiny wire).<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 I may contact BNA\u00a0Online\u00a0about this\u00a0Vesper Sparrow bathing behavior in case they’d like to update their information on the species.\u00a0 I did the same thing a few years ago when I photographed a Western Kingbird casting a pellet<\/a> (BNA said they had “no information” on pellet casting in\u00a0Western Kingbirds) and they seemed appreciative of the information.\u00a0 They even asked to use my image, which\u00a0I allowed, though they haven’t yet updated their information on that species.<\/em><\/p>\n You\u00a0may consider the previous paragraph to be a plug for BNA Online.\u00a0 It’s a pay site but well worth the subscription fee for anyone with a deep interest in\u00a0and curiosity about birds.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vesper Sparrows are “dust bathers”. They do it so often that they’re known for having puffs of dust fly off of them when they’re flushed and take off. In fact, Birds of North America Online says they’re “not observed to bathe in water”. This Vesper Sparrow didn’t read the book.<\/p>\n![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/vesper-sparrow-4735-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/vesper-sparrow-4737-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/vesper-sparrow-4718-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/vesper-sparrow-4757-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n