A minor mystery but still a mystery to me.
On previous trips to Montana’s Centennial Valley I’ve witnessed several feeding frenzies in wet meadows by large numbers of Franklin’s Gulls but I could never figure out what they were eating. I presumed it was some kind of insect but I had no idea what it was.
Yesterday morning, in another wet meadow in the valley, it happened again. This time the feeding frenzy involved four species of birds and I was able to determine what they were eating.
It wasn’t an insect.
When I first approached the conglomeration of birds in the meadow I focused on the most obvious birds there – a pair of Sandhill Cranes. But the other smaller birds were feeding so aggressively and noisily I couldn’t ignore them.
The four species involved in the frenzy were Sandhill Cranes, Long-billed Curlews, a few California Gulls and many hundreds of ravenous Franklin’s Gulls. The birds were spread out over the meadow that this old Montana farm boy estimated was a little larger than one acre.
Most of the time I was focusing on individual birds but here we see three of the four species, minus the relatively few California Gulls. They were all feeding in the same manner by picking the food item, whatever it was, from the base of the grasses. Even the cranes weren’t probing the ground with their bills, instead they were picking food up from the ground’s surface
It wasn’t until I got back to my camping trailer that I realized that I had photo evidence of what they were all eating.
They were eating worms, not insects.
Earthworms to be precise. When cropped a lot, this photo isn’t very sharp but it confirms what they were eating.
This doesn’t prove that the feeding frenzies I’d observed in the past involved earthworms but I think it strongly suggests as much. And if I’m right, another little mystery in the Centennial is solved.
Ron
Wow! What a wonderful series!
Charlotte Norton
Very interesting. At first, I was guessing grasshoppers or some similar insect. Thank you for sharing.
When all else fails worms will do. We have had Franklin Gull visitors eating worms on the golf course during and after rain. Interesting post.
The early birds certainly got the worms. And the early photographer got the shots! Glad you’re out and about with the camping trailer again — definitely a way to feed the soul! 💜
What a neat scene! The gulls are beautiful – those eyes! And good to know there’s lots for them to eat, even if it is kinda icky!
Thanks for posting!
Cool! So fun to solve curious puzzles! Nice to be I on your discovery.
How satisfying. And how wonderful it is to see a post from you. I hope that you are having a marvellous time, sleuthing, taking photos and enjoying the great outdoors.
I have had to change my browser to access your post and am glad I did. Very glad.
Neat capture. I have seen the feeding frenzies with the Franklin’s gulls, easy to spot they are so noisy, and I have wondered wondered what they are eating. I have watched the occurrence at BRMBR, Promontory Point, and the mud flats around Antelope Island. They are usually too far away to see what they are feasting on.
The third gull shot with the worm is intense! I am always moved by your photography and rarely comment. But I just had to let you know that you influence my life and birding and I appreciate you beyond words! Thanks for all your work!
I’ll second what Granny Pat posted.
Nice field work Ron. Enjoy the solitude.
Inspector Clusoe is on the move! Watch out MT, Ron is coming to town and he carries a serious camera and zoom lens. It’s exciting for me to learn you can track down these features of interest along the way, identifying bird behaviors that can help to explain unsolved mysteries at home. Thanks for sharing the tracks you’re making across state lines. And I thought I’d wake up to silence while you were on your trek. If more is possible, we’re open to receiving news as you’re having the best time camping.
I’m glad you were able to worm your way out of that conundrum, Ron.
The worms DO rise when the ground gets too wet as I’ve observed in the yard here.
Gulls used to follow the tractor working summer fallow in large numbers for both those and mice.
Hopefully things continue to go well for you!
Wow, Ron, We need to call you “Sherlock”!! It’s also a lesson on not deleting any shots from your camera in the field. I haven’t done it because of poor vision & wait until downloaded so I can see them on my very large monitor – LOL!!
Nanci, Skoreacres and Jo Ann said it all, except that, some of us, me included, live for these behaviour tidbits, soft shots or not, as much as for the really high quality arty type shots you often pull off.
Exactly!
This is why I’ve adopted the practice of never, ever deleting an image from the camera while I’m still in the field. The things I see once I’m back at the computer can range from interesting to astonishing!