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Red wing black birds are back already

15 years ago

The extra warm weather last week appeared to have brought a flock of Red Wing black birds. Usually, they don't arrive in Northern IL until later. I can hear their distinctive calls in the background. They are one of my wife's favorite birds.

My neighbor isn't so fond of them, since he keeps getting attack by them when he's jogging. Unfortunately, they also attack egrets and herons that occasionally show up near our yard.

The duck trio (a single female with two males) appears to be back already. They migrated out back in Dec, but appeared to have returned already.

Paul

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Comments (5)

donald lucius
15 years ago
i had a couple of stray red wings flock with the starlings this winter. But we also had several sunny warm days and yesterday a flock of red wing blackbirds showed up. A hawk must have followed them and got one. Almost all my birds have been hiding since then a small bunch of pine siskins are in the tree but are hiding most of the time in the needles.
jomuir
15 years ago
I saw my first red wing blackbird, a male, Sunday. A welcome sight after this snowy winter! He was eating suet, they usually go for safflower or cracked corn here.
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It's definitely the bean beetle. This one above has more spots, but after seeing one spot turn to two, it might just be they get older and they get more spots. I've also gone at it with the squash bugs and they are a type of stink bug, they are armored and fairly large. I have only once seen a squash bug fly, didn't know they had wings, but I searched every squash bug, stink bug, I could find, so I am aware of the stink bug you are referring only by picture, none found in the yard yet. I didn't take a picture because I am fairly sure it's the been beetle, just don't know why they are dive bombing my tomatoes. Do they like cannas, lilies, or elephant ears? I hope not, the only bean I planted was nubbed down by a goold ole' rabbit/mole/deer/groundhog/squirrel. I have to say the rabbits are hiding better this year, unlike the groundhog and the squirrel. Well, anyways I found my culprit, it's definitely a red bean beetle, now just to find out what he's eating. I hope not my castor bean plant, isn't it poisonous to bugs too? They are only flying around the tomatoes and those flowers I mentioned above, plus the honeysuckle bush.
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It sounds like a you have some common Redpolls passing through. Alot of the birds are starting to think about spring and changing their behavoir now. You'll see new birds migrating through. I've noticed the birds got alot more vocal in the last week or so. The male Cardinals and Blue Jays are singing. Yesterday I saw and heard male Horned Larks singing. Spring is on its way, its hard to believe when the forecast calls for 6-8" of snow tonight.
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claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
15 years ago
I've had a few male red-wings here in Plymouth, MA for about a month and they started singing a few days ago. A couple of grackles showed up about the same time early this week.

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ginni77
15 years ago
We've been hearing their songs here too (Quad Cities, Illinois) for about a week. My sister and I saw some when we went birdwatching last week. Such a welcome site and sound!!! Nothing says "summer" like the song of a red-winged black bird! :)
bandjzmom
15 years ago
You surely cannot mistake their sounds for anything else. They are here in my yard too. I have never seen them attack anyone, but I have heard of that.

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