Birds at Manure

     Today I drove by a five foot tall, twenty foot long pile of chicken manure on the end of a field along the country road I was on.  But a score of beautiful barn swallows sweeping swiftly at once over and around that manure pile made me stop and watch that pile of chicken droppings more closely for about half an hour.  As always, the swallows were entertaining while zipping and weaving among each other, without collision, as they snapped up flies and other insects that were flying above the chicken droppings.  I know it was chicken waste because of the many white feathers in it. 
     I noticed, too, that several starlings, a pair of house sparrows and a northern mockingbird, all from a nearby suburban area, were on that pile of droppings and poked their beaks into crannies to pull out flies and other invertebrates.  The rummaging of those hungry birds after invertebrates in the manure stirred up some of the flies that were snared in mid-air by the equally ravenous swallows.  
     Some of the swallows took turns landing on the pile of droppings to rest for a short time.  Then I could better see their forked tails and beautiful feather coloring of metallic deep-purple on top and light-orange below. 
     While watching the birds on, or careening over, the manure pile, I thought it never ceases to amaze me how adaptable most forms of life are, even here on a pile of chicken poop.  Adaptable creatures readily take advantage of various kinds of shelters and food sources; really whatever is available.
     Probably that pile of chicken manure will be spread over the field it is on and the birds will have to find food elsewhere.  But, in the meantime, those adaptable and abundant birds getting food from that pile reminded me again of how versatile life is in seeking shelter and nutrition.  Being versatile is a key to success in a fast-changing world.