Blur Motion Sparrow Fight.....Four Pic Series

[Nature Man]

I was out in the back yard not too long ago when I noticed these two going at it. Back an forth they kept fighting so I went in and got the camera and set up in my backyard bird blind. Even though the sun was going down fast I was able to capture these two attacking each other.

I was shooting at f4, 1/50 (for the blur effect), and at ISO 200. I didnt do anything to the images just crop to fit the forum size limit, they are right out of the camera.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why they were fighting? Territorial dispute, courtship, low food level in the feeder? I dont have a clue. All I know is they just kept at each other hard core and it has bugged me ever since.

[texascitydave]

Not sure the reasons why they were sparring, but you sure took some nice shots of them at it.

Thanks for sharing.

[Nature Man]

Thanks David, you should have seen them before I got the camera. One of them pinned the other to the ground by the neck. They were really ticked at one another for some reason.

[jfoureyes]

Very nice action series! I’ve seen them do this before … I believe it’s for the food

[Nature Man]

Thanks Jim, Thats what I figured but I'm not a sparrow expert.

[bubble]

I learned the coolest thing about Sparrows. The larger the white patch on their chest area, the higher the rank they are within the flock. So, odds are one was pulling his rank a little.

Awesome shots! I put apples out for my mockingbird's and caught a shot of a mother feeding her fledgling. I wish I had a larger lens to zoom in on the action.

I've been renting all the "The Life of Birds" series. That's where I learned the Sparrow ranking tidbit.

[Nature Man]

Oh, I didnt know that. Thanks for the info. I get so many of these guys at the feeders that sometimes thats all there is to shoot. It's refreshing to learn something new about them.