First (that I've seen, at least) spawning site in the shallows, with mom
patrolling on the deep water side. The cleared circle shows up first,
followed by white speckles of infertile eggs, and grayish eggs in the
middle.
Hardy lilies putting up a few leaves. Lotus still snug in their tubs; too
sensible to wake up just yet.
And a male redwing complaining loudly if I get too near his boudoir,
somewhere in the cattail bed.

Spring is out there somewhere!

32 this morning in upstate New York.
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Great report!
I've got all sorts of red-winged black birds hanging out
at my birdfeeder right now.

kathy :-)

kathy wrote:

I've got all sorts of red-winged black birds hanging out
at my birdfeeder right now.
Follow-up: I've found one redwing nest, pretty much where it was last
year, though further out in the cattail patch from shore.
There are almost surely two others, spaced by the rules of redwing
territory; I've seen momscoming and going but not actually spotted the
nests yet.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

I am jealous. I used to live in Syracuse. I loved the red-winged
blackbirds! Mississippi doesn't have them as we did in Syracuse.

Jim

On Wed, 12 May 2010 17:25:38 EDT, Gary Woods
wrote:

Follow-up: I've found one redwing nest, pretty much where it was last
year, though further out in the cattail patch from shore.
There are almost surely two others, spaced by the rules of redwing
territory; I've seen momscoming and going but not actually spotted the
nests yet.

Where do blackbirds nest? I know they're in the cattails, but on the ground
or where? ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

~ jan wrote:

Where do blackbirds nest? I know they're in the cattails

The nest is built perhaps a foot above the water, attached to several
cattail stalks. Quite hard to spot until your eye gets "tuned" to it.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G