Last weekend in Charlotte while playing golf, I noticed an extraordinary number of birds feeding along the concrete cart paths. Upon closer inspection, I discovered the reason. Ants. The little fellows were out in force and the birds were taking advantage.
What ants lack in size, as far as a meal is concerned, they make up for by numbers and quality. Ants have more bang for the buck than almost any creature when it comes to nutrition. Trout fisherman can attest to that. If ants are somehow falling in a trout stream, the fish will set up and dine exclusively on these protein-packed insects. Birds do too.
Ants are neat creatures – they were colonists before America had colonies. Each ant has a specific duty in the colony and there are no slackers. Colonies of ants have been called super-organisms because the group operates as a unified entity, not apart.
It’s good that ants are out early, as the cool weather has deterred many other insects from activity. Birds like bluebirds, mockingbirds, cardinals and others rely heavily on these insects. Many of these birds are already on nests or will soon be, and the coming youngsters will need lots of insects.
Next time you see an ant, think of it not simply as a pest to many humans but as food for many birds.