Red-winged Blackbirds were very active at the beach at Fortescue, NJ while the birds were feasting on Horseshoe Crab eggs. I couldn’t help noticing the following male who seemed quite feisty patrolling the beach close to its territory in the dunes.
Male Red-winged Blackbird.
Male Red-winged Blackbird.
Male Red-winged Blackbird: “You guys keep out of my way!”
When not on the beach, he perched on a nearby tree and belted out his warning calls.
Male Red-winged Blackbird.
Male Red-winged Blackbird.
He was not scared of and studiously ignored a bigger Boat-tailed Grackle that was only a short distance away, singing his own warning calls.
Male Red-winged Blackbird and Boat-tailed Grackle.
They’re very entertaining, aren’t they? I love watching them go into full territorial defense mode.
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They are not even scared of humans!
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I’ve noticed! 😉
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Marvelous capture! You must be the “bird whisperer!”
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I only wish! Thank you Robert!
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The Red-wings are spread across the country. The black is so hard to photograph, nice job.
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You are so right about photographing black or dark birds. Rarely do I get a good one.
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He is a very handsome bird .. and fearless too by the looks of it! I enjoyed the photos ..🙂
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Despite being one of the most common birds, he still stands out whenever he appears. Thank you Julie!
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Feisty is an apt description of their behavior, just two days ago, I watched one alternately chasing a turkey vulture and a crow also chasing the vulture, and I’ve seen them chasing hawks, eagles, and even deer in the past. Great images of a difficult to photograph bird, since they are mostly black but with those bright red patches, it’s hard to get the exposure perfect as you did.
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Wow, it is truly a fearless bird then. Fortunately, there was plenty of sunlight that day to make their black, red, and yellow colors stand out. Thanks, Jerry!
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The last capture is so cool！:) 🙂
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Those two birds challenged each other for a few minutes, enough time for one or two photos. Thanks, Amy!
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They are definitely feisty little birds! Great pictures 🙂
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Thanks, M.B.!
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He’s really flashing those red epaulets!
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Maybe those colors evolved from some aggressive ancestor to these birds.
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Red means danger! 😉
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We only have the entire black ones here all year – the red feathers a real nice detail.
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Those red feathers do make them stand out from black birds. Thanks for commenting!
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Their fearlessness reminds me of starlings
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You are right about that!
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Anh Hiền,You are a Nature Lover.
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Aren’t we all? 🙂
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