It's not often that you get a chance to photograph birds with a macro lense - this was one of those rare occasions. Here, at Lion Hill Lodge in Nakuru National Park in Kenya the Speke's Weaver birds have become highly habituated to people. This chap had no qualms with joining me at the table to help himself to my biscuits and to be quite honest I did not mind either. It was a great pleasure to be able to study them up close and to practice my macro bird photography.
However, I do wonder that the nutritional value of these biscuits is probably not really what a healthy weaver bird needs. I recall hearing about seagulls which ate large quantities of fried chips and as an result the female's eggs became highly fragile from a lack of calcium in their diet.
Even though I think that the effects of human food on the health of wildlife is probably the least of our concerns compared to the great man made calamities affecting the natural world, I do feel that the mind of a good naturalist should always question how our actions affect the natural world around us.
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Awesome picture! I just love how intimate the scene is because he's right there with you! I have to think that biscuits, being made of grains (a natural food for birds) is probably preferable to fried chips (not a natural food for birds)... but important to think about that.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Lori! I think you are probably right about the grains. I doubt they regularly find large doses of sugar naturaly thought. Maybe there is an epidemic in weaverbird diabetes we know nothing about. They love to raid sugar bowls as well.
That's really funny about them raiding sugar bowls! Certainly, sugar is addictive for us, so I'm sure it's likely to be addictive for them too - not to mention easy food is... well... easy! No animal likes to work harder than it must!
Thanks for your response. It's so great to connect on Steemit.
Very true. I am quite supprised by how many people here are interested in wildlife. When I started I was worried that not many people would be keen on it, I thought at first it might be all about crypto but I have been pleasantly suprised :-)
Great capture Tim!!
Thanks mate!
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What a treat to see this colourful bird up close! But you're right, probably not the most nutritional meal for it. I try to teach my kids to never feed wildlife, that we need to keep our food from them so they remember how to eat their natural food. That said, your point about bigger manmade issues is spot on. But let's not get depressing... Lets focus on the fact that you got an incredible shot of this bird!!! :)
Thanks Katrina. It's a good idea to teach you kids. Most people who do simply don't know any better and wouldn't do it if they knew it caused harm. Sorry, I will try to not make it too depressing, I am genuinely optimistic and think they are great things ahead for mankind and the natural world. We are just going through a rough patch while the world comes awake to the harm we are doing.
I love your optimism. No need to apologize, it's important to bring these things up, and you did so in a way that wasn't a downer at all! Keep being you! :)