Red Winged Blackbird And Pussywillows

 As I write this blog post it is snowing heavily outside my window, but yesterday the sun was shining, and the Red Winged Blackbirds and the Pussywillows were thinking spring.

The Red Winged Blackbird in this picture likes to sit in this Pussywillow bush at Springbrook Nature Center and make his spring territorial calls.  It makes for a nice spring-like setting. 


Male Red Winged Blackbirds arrive from migration here a few weeks before the females.  That gives them time to stake out territories before the arrival of the females. 

The calls and the brilliance of the red and yellow "shoulder patches" are their calling cards.  The females then just pick the one that has the best area for her nest, in her opinion.

The male Red Wing below has a more open spot further along the boardwalk at Springbrook.