This is the first decent picture of a red-winged blackbird that I have taken in the garden. It has been coming to the deck for a few days now, today it brought a friend. I don't like photos with the feeder in the picture so I had to wait till it was in the apple tree. It is a bird of marshes and wetlands so they don't come around very often. It eats the woodpeckers suet mix as they are insect eaters. red wing blackbird ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
We do get a lot in the wetlands, but very rare in the garden here. Perhaps one will visit a year but it looks and leaves.
You'd be hard pressed to find a wetlands around here but there are about 2 dozen that visit my garden in early Spring and again in the Fall. They fight the Starlings for possession of the Suet blocks and I have seen them chase the Dove and Sparrows away so they could eat Safflower seeds at the feeders too. Pushy birds!
Well we have plenty of wetlands around here in Scotland but, sadly, no Red Wing Blackbirds. I'm glad one stopped by your garden so that you could share its photograph with us.
We have a marsh surrounded by a highway and entrance/exit loop. With all the cat tails still brown any black bird(super easy to locate) is a redwing. The 20 acre site holds about 30 pair during the breeding season. Jerry
We do get a lot in the area but I usually have to go to them. This is a female, often overlooked. female red wing blackbird. ( photo / image / picture from Kildale's Garden )
Kildale, maybe you have an opinion on this. The red-winged blackbird seems to be very widespread. Why do some birds have such a limited range and others are everywhere. Oh, to be able to fly.
I'm no expert but I do know that the mountains prevent many from crossing the country. Also I would think that breeding areas, such as marshlands, besides the ducks, would not have too many species. Marsh wrens, the blackbirds and just the odd couples of other species.
We used to have lots of these at our old house, but I haven't seen any here at the new house. My feeder here is hanging on the porch, where as the other one was off a bit from the house and over by our thicket (as I used to call it). Not sure if that makes a difference or not. I think they are pretty. Nice pics Kildale!
