Thursday, April 19, 2007

Dogfight!

"Two birds disputed about a kernel, when a third swooped down and carried it off." ~ Proverb (Congo)



Seagulls fight over crumbs of bread.
(Click picture for larger view)
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"Splendid wildlife sights are a reminder that, while the gardens derives much of its beauty through our own endeavor and creativity, nature is still the world's most abundant and talented artist." ~ Jane Camp
Caught in a mid-air "dogfight", these two gulls spar over a piece of bread; their frenzied dance, with wings flapping will be for naught. The single slice of bread draws a crowd of twenty birds withing seconds; a mixture of geese, ducks, starlings and the ever present choir of seagulls; the cacophony of honks, quacks and screams of "mine, mine" are almost deafening. A moment after this picture was taken, the bread broke and the largest pieces fell into the water. The other birds commenced their feeding frenzy and these two were left hovering with only the tiniest of crumbs left in their greedy beaks. I always feel for the geese and the ducks... they don't have the fastest reflexes and more often than not, get food only after the gull's attention is drawn across the lake by someone else with a bag of bread. What a perfect object lesson for a child.... the pitfalls of greed!

Submission for Thursday Challenge topic "wildlife". (end of post)

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