Good use for ants

[MDBIRDER@aol.com]

Nature always finds the solution.  This time it was a young female cardinal.  
She perched for 15 minutes on the top of the "shepherd's crook" hanger for 
our hummingbird feeder.  She would repeatedly grab fire ants and place them 
on her plumage--?using them to remove ectoparasites?  She also appeared to be 
eating some of the ants.  I've never seen cardinals "anting" before, although 
I've seen some tropical species do this.  

Unfortunately, the supply of fire ants has proven endless, so I'll resort to 
other remedies.  

Murray Honick