January 25, 2021: Vesper Sparrow
Image courtesy of Joe Mangiafico, Deepwater Canyons 2012 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEM. Download larger version (jpg, 167 KB).
During the Deepwater Canyons 2012: Pathways to the Abyss expedition, the team was approximately 60 miles off the east coast of Virginia, exploring the deep waters of Norfolk Canyon. The kind of wildlife one would expect to see at such a location is the kind that lives in the ocean.
However, throughout the expedition, the ship was visited by a steady stream of more land-based visitors, carried to the ship by wings and wind. Perhaps they were blown off course during a storm or searching too long and hard for their next meal. Or, maybe they were accidental stowaways on another ship, realizing too late their mistake and trying to find their way back home. Regardless, they arrived, sometimes visiting for just moments before taking off or sometimes staying for a bit longer, searching the ship for a tidbit of food to hold them over on their journey. But, they never stayed long...
One of these visitors was this tiny Vesper Sparrow, which normally spends most of its time on the ground where it looks for insects and seeds to eat and where it makes its nest.
From: A Wild Place for Wildlife.