John Bull in his "Birds of New York State" has a section on migration of Redwing Blackbirds. I used this as a reference in a biology course I audited after retirement. Here is an excerpt from what I wrote: During the spring migration, 100,000 were recorded at Montezuma on March 22, 1958. In the early 1900's Arthur Allen kept a three year record of Red-wings migrating through Ithaca. From their plumage he was able to distinguish males from females and adult birds from those hatched the previous year. The record he reports is for 1911 and as he remarks the actual dates will vary from year to year, but the order in which the males and females, migrants and residents will remain. (I wonder if there has been any significant shift in the 80 years since Dr. Allen made his study.) Here is what he found: males arrive on the scene, followed two weeks later by the resident females. The migrants that appear are presumably on their way to Canada while the immature birds that will take up residence may have been searching for green pastures.

For three days last week a large flock of Red Wings turned over the leaves in my back yard. There were so many of them that it looked as if the ground were moving with all the leaves being tossed. They never touched my feeders or the suet. This was the first time I've ever noticed them up here on the ridge. Normally they are down by the creek about a half mile away. Two more firsts this winter. In late January there was a Towhee on my BOSS feeder. Saw it only once. If it came back I missed it. Last year I saw one under the Suet feeder picking up pieces but this is the first I've ever seen on the feeder. 20 years ago they were all over the place but now that there are no empty lots left I very seldom see any. There just aren't enough woods left for them. Another first I could do without, Grackles. Never had them before and they will empty out a feeder amazingly fast. Wish they would move on.

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.

i have been told that first year males are almost indentical to the females. But in the second year they start getting darker and start with a yellow patch that evolves to red and the bright shiny black color by the end of the second year, i see some here that are still mottled brown with just a yellow spot on their wings and some streaked brown black with a orange to light red spot. the males seem more aggressive than the females and i see a few males try the tube feeder or the suet rack.