Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
Linda Schaub
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Linda Schaub
- Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal (and a pal) partake of peanuts at the Park. #Wordless Wednesday #A favorite vintage ornament.
- Lean, mean and green.
- Which way is Santa Claus? #Wordless Wednesday #Remember those days?
- When there’s wicked wind, wildflowers and …
- Before and after a cup of Joe. #Wordless Wednesday #Sadly, we don’t ALL rise and shine!
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FIFTY FAVORITE PARK PHOTOS
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- Parker noshin’ nuts
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Black Squirrel
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- Parker, my Park cutie!
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- Pekin Duck
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- Mallard Hybrid Duck
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- Midnight munchin’ nuts
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- Mute Swan
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- Goslings
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- Mama Robin
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- Seagulls on ice floe
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Parker chowin’ down
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- Mallard Duck
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- Northern Cardinal
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- Great Blue Heron (“Harry”) fishing for shad
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- Parker: shameless begging
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- Viceroy Butterfly
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- Great Blue Heron
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- American Goldfinch
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- Seagull
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- Robin baby (not fledged yet)
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Robins almost ready to fledge
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- Parker angling for peanuts
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- Robin fledgling
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- Parker making a point that he wants peanuts
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- Parker smells peanuts
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- Parker with a peanut
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Seagull
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- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
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- Pekin Duck
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- Starling
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- Canada Geese family
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- Canada Goose and goslings
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Parker says candy is dandy.
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- Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
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- American Goldfinch
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- Hunny Bunny
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- Parker looking for peanuts
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- The pier just past sunrise
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- Mute Swan
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- Parker in the snow
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- Parker and a treat
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Me and my shadow (a/k/a Parker)
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Seagull
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- Canada Goose
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Mute Swan
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- Fox Squirrel – Parker
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- Northern Cardinal
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BADGES
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- 02-02-2018
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- 03-13-2018
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- 03-25-2018
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- 03-26-2018
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- Year #6!! 02/2019
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- 04-13-2019
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- 11-21-19
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WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I rarely see a red wing black bird around here and they’re so unique. I like your photos.
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Thank you Ally. I see them a lot in the parks with marshes as they nest in the reeds. I think they are beautiful, but they are mean. They like to attack the Sandhill Cranes for some reason, dive bombing them and circling around them.
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Always loved the bad boys! 🙂
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Ha ha – yes, they are beautiful, but bad boys sometimes Laurie. They like to dive bomb the Sandhill Cranes for no reason … I saw them attacking them last week, nowhere near a marsh where they usually nest. Just ornery!
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These birds are rare here. Beautiful, but rare.
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I think they are beautiful too with their “military colors”. Since I go to a lot of places with marshes, I see them a lot. They do have loud calls, so I often hear them before I see them.
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Beautiful bird in a nice nature setting — but what was he doing to be called a bad boy?
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Barbara, I also think the Red-winged Blackbirds are very beautiful with their military-like plumage. I see a lot of them in the marshy area. They are mean because they attack other birds. Years ago I watched a Canada Goose leading its goslings out of the water at Council Point Park. I got photos of them walking up a narrow path. Before the goslings were out of the water though, the Red-winged Blackbird started attacking the adult goose – I saw no nests around, so it was pointless. I’ve seen them pick fights with Robins and try to grab the nestlings when the Robin mom is off getting food and once I chased it away. Mom came back and fought with the Red-winged Blackbird. A few weeks ago I saw one dive-bombing a Sandhill Crane. I was going to use that photo in today’s post, but it was on a bright day – this was a gray day and so the photos didn’t look right in the same post. I’ll use it another time though.
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Wow! I used to see a couple of red-winged blackbirds in the cattails at the salt pond down by the beach but I never saw them interacting with other birds. Makes me wonder what was going on when I wasn’t there to see it!
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They are mean, more so when they have offspring, like most birds/critters. I was walking at Council Point Park last year and there was a baby brown bird on the path ahead of me. I didn’t see that bird until I was right on top of it and it was dead. But before I approached its body, a male Red-winged Blackbird was dive bombing me. I did not think a lot about that as they do eat peanuts and the males will fly down from the trees in front of me, knowing I’ll throw out a peanut … but as I got closer, it was clear it was not trying to get me to toss a peanut. I saw the body – juvenile, maybe fledged as there was no nest as the marsh was not all that close (they nest in the reeds, close to the ground). So I realized it was angry I might go near the body. I walked quickly by. A walker I never speak to, except to say “good morning” caught up with me. He said he saw what happened to me and said the same thing happened to him just then and earlier the first time around. I am always amazed how Jocelyn Anderson has Red-winged Blackbirds and Blue Jays eating from her palm – they are both mean and have sharp beaks.
A Blue Jay attacked a man walking down our street when he passed under a tree branch where the nest was. The man merely walked under the tree and the Blue Jay attacked him. He was bald-headed and the Jay attacked his head and he cried out and fell to the ground blood going down his head. The neighbor heard him scream and she ran out of the house and called for an ambulance for him. This was about 25 years ago. He came back to thank her later … she told my mom it was awful to see all the blood oozing from his head.
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I just looked for the post of the Red-winged Blackbird attacking the goose … I couldn’t think of any key words to search except “on the neck” … when I come across that post, I’ll send it to you. But I recently saw the poor Sandhill Crane getting attacked, but I think I haven’t gone through those photos yet.
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Title and bird images fit perfect!! These birds have elaborate and distinctive songs. We find them at one specific park here, except we don’t go there that often.
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Thank you! Yes, I like their call too Esther and come Spring, to me the first sign of Spring is hearing the Red-winged Blackbird’s call as they are the first birds to migrate back. Sometimes a plume of steam is curling around their beak as they came back too early! You’ll likely find them in marshy areas.
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They have a unique song and they are fun to find, especially with their red-winged bodies. I like these birds because I can identify them, and for a non-birdie person like me it makes me feel so knowledgeable. lol
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I know what you mean Esther. I always knew the “basic birds” like Sparrow, Robin, Jay and Cardinal and I knew their calls, but I never heard one of these guys until I started walking at Council Point Park. When I see them in March, they have returned from their migration spot and I know Spring is not far off (even if I see condensation coming from their beak.)
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I like how you call them the “basic birds.” Nice! I know the Red Winged Blackbirds and Stellar Jays; we see these here and there near us.
I hope the Council Park renovation is going smoothly and they wrap up the work soon. I feel so bad that they cut down the trees.
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I think I knew those “basic birds” from my Audubon Field Guide I got when I was young … the other ones I have to learn as I go along, but I actually tried to teach myself some birds and wildflowers when I bought two books: “Wildflowers in Michigan” and “Birds in Michigan” … but I have to admit it is easier to take a screenshot and go to “Google Image Search” and instant gratification as I have my answer in a few seconds. 🙂 I feel badly about the Park and the trees too … they have made a colossal mess there and it not only looks awful, but I feel for the animals and birds who lost their homes and likely their babies.
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The red winged blackbird sure can make loud screams defending its territory during spring mating season! I wonder if those exploding cattails were bird-head spinning intoxicating to all those red winged blackbirds to draw them in… what a sight you were able to see, Linda! Did they blow out your ears or make your hair stand on edge?
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Yes, they are very loud birds TD and have such a distinctive call. I am happy to see them in the Spring, because they are the first birds to migrate back here. They are mean though and will chase other birds away, even when they don’t have nests nearby. They even attack the Sandhill Cranes and look how big they are – they dive bomb them. I took some photos of them doing that again; I had some last year too. I think they like sitting on those exploding cattails but I don’t think they eat them, nor use them for nesting materials as their nests are between cattails, close to the water. These cattails had no nests though.
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We actually took our bird feeders down, in part because the red winged blackbirds and others were eating us out of house and home.
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That’s too bad and they are bullies at the feeder as are the Starlings, which I think are even worse. I had suet cakes out and they’d perch on the cage to eat and never leave.
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We’ll put them back up, or at least some of them, after they’re disinfected and we’ve had a pause.
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Yes, plus the Red-winged Blackbirds will migrate eventually. I know Spring is on the way when I hear/see them when they return to the marsh.
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It’s funny that I like red winged blackbirds but I don’t like Starlings! I guess the tiny spot of red makes a difference lol
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Yes, you like a man in military regalia! 🙂
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Bad Boy for sure! They always chew me out (to get out of “their territory.”) 🙄
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They are very vocal aren’t they Tom? Every time I see the Sandhill Cranes, the Red-winged Blackbirds are buzzing around them and dive bombing them as well. I’ve seen them go after geese, pecking them on the neck!
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❤️❤️❤️
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I really enjoy watching these birds. The males always look “large and in charge”.
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Yes they do … not only are they boisterous, but they will glare at you like they run the place. 🙂
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Misslinda………………………….every early morning when I go for a walk when I pass by the tall grasses by the railroad tracks and I-75………………..the red wing black birds swarm my head…………………………..so……………………..I must be too close to their nests……………………………………..
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Ann Marie – last year I got too close to one of the red-winged blackbirds babies that was dead. There was no nest nearby, so I think maybe it fledged and was hurt and was in the middle of the walking path. So the male/dad was buzzing around my head too, lest I get too close to the baby. I didn’t walk past it again that day – instead I stayed on the loop where the inline skating rink is. I was taking no chances and the body was gone the next day. It was a bit unnerving.
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That is an awesome picture Linda! We get them at our sunflower seed feeder.
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Thank you Diane. I think the males are handsome birds. I didn’t know they at sunflower seeds, but I know they will grab a peanut when the squirrels aren’t looking. 🙂
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