![\"white-crowned-sparrow-8028b-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-8028b-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\nI found this one yesterday morning as it was feeding on rabbitbrush seeds on Antelope Island. It was literally gorging itself – this is one of the few images (out of hundreds) I have of the bird that didn’t have rabbitbrush seeds in or on its bill.<\/p>\n
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- I think rabbitbrush gets a bad rap. Many folks are allergic to its pollen and others don’t like its smell when the leaves or flowers are crushed (its species name “nauseosa” is evidence of that fact). But it provides\u00a0cover for many\u00a0bird species and others use it as an important food source. And it’s very attractive, especially\u00a0when it blooms in the fall.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ok, back to my sparrow.<\/p>\n
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![\"white-crowned-sparrow-8153-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-8153-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1\/5000, f\/8, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n
I like this alert pose as the bird scans for another place to forage while it still has a single seed sticking out of its bill. Gluttony personified…<\/p>\n
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![\"white-crowned-sparrow-8025-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-8025-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n
The sparrow worked hard at gathering seeds – in fact I’d say…<\/p>\n
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![\"white-crowned-sparrow-7976-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-7976-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1\/3200, f\/8, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n
it worked very<\/em> hard. Its contortions as it tried to reach inaccessible\u00a0seeds were impressive.<\/p>\n
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![\"white-crowned-sparrow-8197-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-8197-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1\/4000, f\/8, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n
A few seconds later\u00a0it had moved on to another spot on the bush and here it’s inspecting the larder before…<\/p>\n
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![\"white-crowned-sparrow-8222-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/white-crowned-sparrow-8222-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1\/4000, f\/8, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n
gobbling down the groceries in great gulps.<\/p>\n
There are two primary definitions for “common”. One is “abundant or prevalent” while the other is “showing a lack of taste and refinement; vulgar or coarse”. Some folks avoid referring to birds as common because of the demeaning implications of the\u00a0second definition. I’ll continue to apply the word to birds and assume readers will know I’m referring to the first meaning.<\/p>\n
This blog post has me thinking about other common species that are seldom the subjects of my posts. Perhaps it’s about\u00a0time for me to feature the American Coot again. It’s been a while…<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have a strong distaste for most forms of elitism but when it comes to birds I have to be careful not to let a bit of snobbishness creep in.<\/p>\n