birdsoup

Today I heard the first reports of Red-winged Blackbirds for the year.  They are always one of the earliest migrants to return from down south.  But mid-February seem exceptionally early.  Maybe it is the mild weather.

Male Red-wings return before the females, often 3-4 weeks before the females show up.  They act like a bunch of teen-aged boys they have nothing to do so they just hang around in large groups and eat a lot.  Often they will join with a similar group of male grackles and starlings creating huge mobs of black birds.  Numbers can be as high as hundreds of birds. 

If a group arrives in your yard, they will empty your bird feeder in no time at all.   They are insatiable.  They will devour all your seed leaving nothing for the “pretty” birds.  Fortunately there is one way you can stop them from eating all your seed and let the others eat.  Fill your feeder with Safflower Seed.  Blackbirds don’t like, but all the other birds do, cardinal, chickadees, finches.  You can still attract the colorful birds while avoid all the blackbirds.

In a few weeks the large flocks of male blackbirds begin to disperse as individual males select and begin to defend a nesting territory waiting the females to return for the south.   Walk near the appropriate marshy areas and you will hear the males pouting out their song hoping to attract a mate.  They flaunt their red wing patches like headlight trying to lure in a passing female. 

Then you know that spring has truly begun.  Love is in the air.  Flowers will soon appear.