This unusually mild fall
has resulted in the latest Grackles and Redwinged Blackbird I have seen in my yard. These two are from yesterday and the day before. I have not seen any today yet, and we had the first snow here this morning. The Redwinged Blackbird is an immature male, and I totally love his markings. (Just as I am writing this, I am seeing a RWBB outside.)
Birds are still migrating,
bringing occasional fun visitors, like Grackles and Redwinged Blackbirds. The House Finch almost got me with his head marks, I thought it might be a Purple. But the stripes on the belly are a true sign for House.
Speaking of Redwinged Blackbirds - today, the promo sale for the calendar ends. There will be another one or two farther down the road but I haven’t made my mind up when.
One fun thing about birdwatching
is that you never know what you’re gonna get. Even for a backyard birdwatcher, things will change with the seasons but also from year to year. I did have male Redwinged Blackbirds at my feeders always but this year, there seem to be a lot more females. Or females that are not camera shy. With this expressive one, I would like to wish everyone a FANTASTIC MONDAY!
Redwinged Blackbirds are interesting
Redwinged Blackbirds are interesting to me because they are one of the harbingers of spring, they carry the German flag and a Pearl Jam song on their feathers, they have an interesting song and they are feisty when they defend a nest. They are also very beautiful, and the females none less than the males. In recent days, I have seen females a lot all over the yard and feeders, so there were good opportunities to get photos. I love the faint red on their shoulders.
The air is filled
with spring calls and songs, and the Redwinged Blackbirds add a splash of color to that whole symphony as well. I have not seen a female yet so I think they are still kind of passing through. They are just so wonderfully elegant.
And here
is the March bird of the 2022 Ostdrossel calender, a harbinger of spring, but also the announcer of a 10 day special sale of the calendars - a Redwinged Blackbird. I love these guys when they look sleek and relaxed but I always get a kick out of their puffed up state. Here, you can also see what gave them their name - the gorgeous red “epaulets”. You can find the calendars in three sizes in my shop here: https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/ostdrossel
The weather has been less than stellar
and activity remains low, but I was happy to see the Grosbeak female, a frequently visiting female Red-winged Blackbird, and the ever so beautiful wet Blue Jays. The forecast is very summery, though, and I am expecting lots of baby birds to show up soon. Dr. Clara and Mandrake’s babies are due to hatch in a few days as well.
Nesting season
is pretty much in full bloom right now. I still see some birds gathering nesting material, but many others are either coming a lot less to the feeders or when they come quickly stuff their beaks and take off. Funnily enough, during this rather slow time at the feeders, sometimes birds make it to the bowl that usually don’t go there, like this female Redwinged Blackbird. They are a rather shy and humble bird, kind of in the shadow of their vibrant male counterparts, but I love their kind faces and their subtle colors.
Couples.
I always find it fascinating to see the differences in the appearance of birds. Here is a little selection.
(top two rows: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird - ladies in row 1, gents in row 2
third row: Mourning Doves and House Finches, they wanted to be in the same photo with their partners :D)
Red-winged Blackbirds
have quite the variety when it comes to their plumage and colors. Epaulet intensity and overall feather patterns are depending on their gender as well as their age, and I guess the individual bird too. This speckled specimen is a young adult male. He still shows some of the beautiful baby pattern but is growing into the black, glossy plumage of the adult males. Just what the goofball in the gif is showing off.
More teens
Namely: Cardinal (it was getting dark so the photo is not superb but I was so excited to finally get her), Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, House Finch (she is the most adorable little thing, and somehow the only young House Finch I have been seeing on a regular basis around the feeders. She has some odd feathers on her tail, maybe that’s why.)
I am having a very busy work week, so I haven’t posted many photos, but I put the cams out and they have been diligently taking photos. I just need to find the time for editing. Hopefully, things calm down a bit next week. Have a beautiful Friday and weekend!
A Red-winged Blackbird
is showing off his pretty epaulets. They are not all deep red, and I sometimes use the wing patches as a way to distinguish the various individuals that come visit my yard. Right now, they also come to the bird bath a lot, bringing females and young ones.
I am looking for the little surprises
when I go through the photos each day. There are many factors that determine who I might see. Time, placement of the camera and the kind of feed are some. Today, I played around a bit. And I got Mr. Meow, the Catbird who I now decided is my favorite bird this summer, a young Redwinged Blackbird whose markings I loved, and a House Wren that would refuse to be in focus or in full frame.
Video: young Red-winged Blackbird at the bath
The pool is still open and getting used. And livestreamed! Check here or use the main menu.
Redwinged Blackbird glory
The first two photos I think are the same guy, a young adult. I love the markings on him. The last one seems to have gone to bird hypnotist academy. I am willing to fulfill all of his wishes.
As we wait for the summer guests to arrive,
these guys, the Redwinged Blackbirds, are filling the air with their song and show off their gorgeous colors. The females have arrived now too, but they are still camera shy. Hopefully that changes, because they are quite beautiful too.
