It’s Fall, and though we have birds at the ranch all the times of the year, they seem to be everywhere come Fall.  We are used to seeing birds in the sky, but these days, we see them mostly on the horse’s backs or at their feet.  Why is this?

I really don’t know?

I did Google it.  But didn’t get an exact answer.  Some say the birds are trying to keep warm.  Some say they are picking insects and food off the horses.  I wish that one were true.  I wish the birds would eat ALL the flys and ALL the mosquitoes.  But they don’t.  Maybe they eat some, but not enough to tell with the naked eye.

I personally think they are looking for dropped grain.  Either from the horse’s mouth, or from the horse’s manure.  (In the above photo, possibly they are looking at the pretty sunrise?)

 

Food starts to get scarce in the Fall and the birds haven’t quite made it south yet, so they hang out with animals that are dropping grain.  Smart of them, right.

I could be wrong.  Either way, I bet both species are benefiting from the other in some way.  Most times, nature tends to work that way.

This is Ralph and Ernest hitching a ride on Liberty.  Or maybe it’s Edna and Bernice.  It’s hard to tell.  They all look alike.