red winged blackbirds

a strange thing has taken place in the backyard. the birdfeeders, which are most often frequented by squirrels, have been taken over by a rambunctious gang of starlings. i'm not a big fan of the starling. they hang out in large packs and beat up on other birds, taking their homes and their food. they just don't play nice, and i don't appreciate it. i bet the other birds don't lke it, either. well, this particular backyard starling gang has a number of red winged blackbirds mixed in, which is nice, because they, on the other hand, are one of my favorite species of birds. species? i hope that's correct. it has been a while since i wore the naturalist hat. anyway, their friendly song and beautiful wings are a welcome sign that i associate with warm evenings in the start of spring, when the air is still damp and smells sweetly and the peepers are just beginning to sing their songs as well. these blackbirds are a bit early for that, but it is comforting to see them out and about, though they've mixed in with the wrong crowd. i wonder if this is a regular occurance, and how they ended up together. to the untrained eye, they do look haltingly similar, and unless you know to look near where the wing meets the body you might just miss them altogether and lump them in with the starlings. maybe some of the weather we've been having lately has confused them and they ended up in the yard on their way back from their winter destination. whatever the case, it makes me smile, because spring is on the way.

and with spring on the way, there will be fewer days between now and my next trip to the cabin, where i can indulge in sunset after sunset over the lake. that is a whole other story altogether, a summer one, involving early morning loon calls, afternoon swims off the pontoon, evening thunderstorms driving the last boats in off the lake, and then repeating. it'll have to wait further explaination, though, as it is too early in the season - i have to save something to write about! that, and it is lunch time. mmm.

happy march!