Boyde

[den]

Meet Boyde



This is my usual view of him.


He is curious about everything...


...including old Hobbes, a visiting doggy.


Hobbes is deaf and almost blind, so this curious shape on the grass caught his attention.


Not road kill, just catching the rays.

Comments

Anting

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

According to John Eastman in Birds of Forest, Yard and Thicket: "Researchers disagree about the function of anting behavior, in which the bird picks up ants and rubs them vigorously on its plumage. The traditional view is that ants' formic acid acts as an insecticide or fungicide against feather and skin parasites. Anting often occurs during periods of high humidity, lending weight to the fungicidal theory. But other investigators find no correlation between anting and parasite or fungal presence; they speculate that anting, like sunning, is simply a comfort activity, stimulating the skin, especially during summer molt. A recent theory suggests that anting forces the insects to expel their formic acid, thus making them more palatable to consume. Observed in more than 200 species of birds (mostly passerines) worldwide, anting needs more detailed observations."

Re: Anting

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Anting for Fun And Pleasure! A big hit in the bird world. Illustrations by Ursula Vernon.