![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/vesper-sparrow-4720-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis post\u00a0is an update on an event and a process that began when I photographed this Vesper Sparrow as it bathed in a small Montana spring earlier this fall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/2500, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n The sparrow was an enthusiastic bather and it certainly wasn’t shy about it as it\u00a0dipped and shook in the water for some time with my pickup just a few feet away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/2500, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon<\/em> EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n In fact this was one of the longest and most energetic bird baths I’ve witnessed from a songbird.<\/p>\n I had no idea I’d photographed anything unusual until 3 weeks later when I was preparing a blog post on the bathing episode.\u00a0 As I often do I did a little research on the species and the behavior while I was preparing the post and I noticed that Birds of North America Online (BNA) out of Cornell (a source I highly respect for its detailed accounts of bird natural history) said that Vesper Sparrows often take dust baths but\u00a0are “not observed to bathe in water”.<\/p>\n This made me wonder if I might possibly have observed something new so I made a mental note to send BNA a link to my post in case they might be interested in updating their Vesper Sparrow account regarding bathing.\u00a0 In the meantime I had been corresponding with Myrah Bridwell, Permissions Coordinator for Cornell’s Handbook of Bird Biology, on another matter and\u00a0in the “conversation”\u00a0I mentioned to her what I’d photographed and sent her a link to the post which she forwarded to Alan Poole, Editor of BNA Online,\u00a0saying that\u00a0I’d “documented a previously undocumented behavior”.<\/p>\n To make a long story slightly shorter I happened to check BNA’s Vesper Sparrow account yesterday morning and it has been edited.\u00a0 What used to say “not observed to bathe in water” now says “also known to bathe in water (pers. comm. Ron Dudley; images and written account<\/a>)” and includes a link to my original Bathing Vesper Sparrow post.<\/p>\n I really deserve no particular\u00a0credit other than being lucky and observant.\u00a0\u00a0As a science teacher for 33 years before I retired\u00a0I spent my entire career teaching my students about the scientific knowledge gleaned\u00a0by others and this\u00a0is one of the few times\u00a0I’ve ever contributed anything original to that body of knowledge.\u00a0 As small as my contribution might be it still gives me a significant amount of personal satisfaction.<\/p>\n Part of the reason for this post is to encourage others to take note of the little things you observe in the field and if you see something interesting that might be new, document and report it.\u00a0 Somewhere.\u00a0 And BNA Online would be an excellent starting place.\u00a0 BNA is a pay site that requires a\u00a0membership fee ($42\/year)\u00a0to access their bird accounts\u00a0but in my opinion that fee is a bargain if you’re heavily\u00a0into birds.<\/p>\n Besides, you don’t have to be a member to report interesting (documented!) observations or provide feedback to BNA.\u00a0 Several links\/email addresses can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PS:\u00a0 No, I haven’t received my new camera yet.\u00a0 Now it’s looking like it won’t arrive until Monday.\u00a0 Sigh….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This post is an update on an event and a process that began when I photographed this Vesper Sparrow as it bathed in a small Montana spring earlier this fall.<\/p>\n![\"vesper](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/vesper-sparrow-4732-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n