Red-winged Blackbird: Blackwater NWR

Red-winged Blackbirds normally arrive in my area about the third week of February.  I always look forward to their arrival as an early harbinger of spring.  However apparently some winter on Maryland's Eastern Shore as they have been present on both of our recent visits to Blackwater NWR.  Needless to say it was a pleasure to hear the song I associate with spring on a mid winter day.

Winter Transition

A visit to the wetlands yesterday proved somewhat of a disappointment.  A warm spell last weekend opened some of the water and Canada Geese and a flock of Mallards were present.  Colder weather during the past week had refrozen most of the open areas and the waterfowl had fled.  By shooting directly into the sun the extreme contrast of this shot makes it appear as a black&white.

A shot of the cattails locked in ice appears as though winter still has the wetlands locked in it cold embrace.

However in another spot where the water is very shallow the vegetation has adsorbed enough of the sun's energy to met the ice.

Returning home I passed a small pond where a group of Red-winged Blackbirds were hanging out.  Backing up and pulling off the road I managed this shot from the open car window.  I first noticed the red-winged blackbird's arrival last Saturday.  Looking back through my records over the past few years I see that they are right on time as they typically arrive around the third week of February.

The forecast for this week begins with warm temps and heavy rain tomorrow followed by highs in the 40's and 50's the remainders of the week.  The ice cover present now will most certainly be replaced by waterfowl as they follow the ice-out in their northward journey.

Unusual Perch: Red-winged Blackbird

While passing through the historic town of Gettysburg yesterday my wife and I took a moment to drive through the grounds where the first day's fighting took place.

This Red-winged Blackbird perched upon the likeness of Brevet Major General James Samuel Wadsworth caught my eye.  His perch is not a natural one but from the condition of the statute it does appear that it is used often.

Blackbirds Welcome Spring

Singing Red-winged Blackbird

With the coming of warmer weather the numbers of blackbirds have built considerably over the last few days. The male Red-winged blackbirds were the first to arrive. I observed my first red-winged male two weeks ago. The wetlands now are ringing with their melodious song and today I observed my first female. The female stayed partially concealed flitting about the underbrush and never allowed me an opportunity for a photograph.

Grackle Pair

During this past week I began to notice grackles arriving and today good sized flocks were evident around my home. This pair perched in the top of an evergreen tree growing beside our home. Opening the door just a crack I was able to capture this image of the pair. Notice how iridescent the male is compared to the female.

The glistening male lingered for a moment after the female had departed

We have been experiencing unseasonably warm weather the over the past few days and it is to continue into Sunday. Showers forecast to begin Sunday evening will drop temperatures back into the normal range for the beginning of the week. With the weather we have been having the past few days it’s hard to imagine that just two weeks ago ice covered our lakes and wetlands and snow blanketed the ground.

Beginning: Spring Migrations

As temperatures begin to rise and the snow pack recedes, early signs of spring are beginning to appear. With our ponds, marshes and lakes still locked in ice I decided to check some local creeks for waterfowl this morning. After unsuccessfully check a few spots I spotted a pair of geese.

I have noticed over the past few days that the large wintering flocks are beginning to break up and finding geese on this creek indicates that they are beginning to move to their nesting sites.

This encounter with the geese soon took an unexpected turn giving me a honker photo shoot like I had never encountered before. Sorry, but you’ll have to check back later for the “action” shots!

Early this morning I passed an ice covered pond noticing a lone red-winged blackbird perched among the bull rushes, my first for this year. This was the same spot where I observed my first red-winged blackbird last year on February 21st. By this afternoon flocks of redwings were moving through our area on their journey northward.

During my time afield today I flushed a pair of ducks that I was unable to identify or photograph from along this creek. While walking along the water’s edge I heard the unmistakable staccato rattle call of the belted kingfisher, a few moments later it flew past, another first for the season.

The calendar indicates that spring is still two weeks away but nature is already heeding the call of a new season of renewal.