Just the back yard!? Nah, I want the front and side yards landscaped in natives too.



Saturday, March 21, 2015

A Sure Sign of Spring!

For the past week or so, I've been scanning the roadsides for red-winged blackbirds.  Nothing.

The other day, I was at a hardware store to pick up some more birdseed (black oil sunflower seeds).  Across from the store is a natural area, swampy with some trees, cattails, and some winter berry holly (Ilex verticillata)--it always catches my eye.  While crossing the parking lot to enter the store, I heard the distinctive call of the red-winged blackbird-one of the few bird calls I know.    It made me smile.

Hearing them was great...but I had still not had a sighting...until this morning when a small flock of them appeared outside our bay window enjoying the black-oil sunflower seeds I'd sprinkled there.  :)

Not the best shots--taken with my phone...and the red-wings are pretty skittish when they see movement near the window:





Great sight for the first full day of spring!

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