[gardeners] OT - red winged blackbirds
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 24 May 2002 08:24:45 -0600
Bird books say red-winged blackbirds live in marshy areas, yet here I am at
the edge of the desert with more than my share of red-winged
blackbirds. At least two of them are hanging around here, clutching tiny
bars so they can feed at my tube feeders. There's a lot of bobbing,
weaving, and occasional fluttering when they lose their grip. Last evening,
we were treated to a spectacular show, as the male went courting. He
spread his wings out and fluttered them as he advanced toward the female,
his red patches edged in gold flashing vividly as he moved. The scene was
taking place about 6 feet in front of our living room window. Even DH was
impressed.
We also saw a Brewers blackbird gathering nest materials yesterday. I
haven't seen them in my yard since our cairn terrier shook their nest out
of the hedge, and ate the babies eight or nine years ago. Prior to that
time they harrassed the cairn and before him the target was the beagle, and
we were always targets for harrassment too, since we dared to pick up our
mail. Margaret L