23 December 2014
Ever since my husband was hit by a car last month I am very wary of crossing the street. I watch and wait. I flinch when I see others crossing unsafely.
Last week while waiting to cross Forbes Avenue at Craig Street I saw a flock of house sparrows playing in traffic. When vehicles stopped for the red light the sparrows perched on the road underneath them. As the cars began to drive away the birds flew out quickly. I could barely stand to watch but I was mesmerized.
Apparently the flock craved more excitement. They perched at a parking lot while traffic was moving fast but as soon as it slowed they zoomed low across the street at bumper height right in front oncoming vehicles! They were going to get hit! I couldn’t keep from shouting, “Fly fast, little birds!”
They made it.
Then they did it again. They’re nuts!
The house sparrows were playing a game of Chicken.
(photo of house sparrows waiting in the Walmart parking lot by Sage on Flickr, Creative Commons license. Are they waiting to play Chicken? Click on the image to see the original)
I have always wondered as I sat in the car in parking lots and watched, which/when the first bird figured out that they could get insect meals out of car grilles and radiators? I have watched them climb in through the grilles to exit with a bug snack.