the interesting world of the red-winged blackbird

I read on Wikipedia that this bird is migratory, traveling north in good times. And that he comes here to stake out turf for his sweetie-tweetie. Actually for a bunch of them. He likes to populate his turf with a selection of sweetie-tweeties. But then she comes and messes with him. She hooks up with other males, producing a hatch of eggs of mixed paternity.

I watched birds up close and personal today on my ride back from work. It wasn’t especially a comfortable ride since the temps had dropped from yesterdays pleasantries.

Still, the birds made me slow down and take note.

For instance, this duck. So beautiful in his solitary stance. I mean, it gives hope, no?





Then, there are the gulls. I don’t really understand why we have gulls in Madison, since I associate gulls with, well, oceans, but we do have gulls. And they appear to stand on water.





But I digress. Further down the path I encountered the red-wing blackbird. I looked him in the eye and he seemed to be saying – the hell with you, I know what I’m doing. And yet, he was such a sweet little thing. Huggable almost…






Life. Birds, humans – we’re all part of this great big planet, aren’t we?