Blackbirds

I mentioned to my co-worker that I was seeing blackbirds on my way to work, and she responded "big deal, blackbirds, they're everywhere, who cares?" Brewer's blackbird is, admittedly, one of those trashy birds that is usually seen lowering property values in McDonald's parking lots, but there's something special about them for me, because they're absent in winter, and every spring they return to the same cluster of trees to nest. They're like robins,but cranky. Some of them also may be Narnia fans--they like this one particular lampost:

I see them chasing each other, but the magical moment where one pecks my head is still just a dream...

And just because, here is a video of the Brewer's Blackbird's cousins, Red-Winged Blackbirds, singing in Briones:

Berkeley Marina

Birding by bike is always fun, though without binoculars it's a bit harder to see the far-off things. There were a few close-by tidbits at the Berkeley Marina this weekend:

Pissed-off, testosterone fueled blackbirds are always a good bet for photography. They'll defend their territories, from other blackbird dudes, or even from nosy human ladies with cameras. Birders' Handbook explains that the dudes flashy the red when defending territory, and hide it when trying to sneak around. Also, red-winged blackbirds hate other males, but research has shown that they REALLY hate taxidermy models of males with double-sized red patches. They peck those right OUT!

Ground squirrels are also something of a photo gimmie. Like their cousins at the lake, they are quick to associate a human with the possibility of a tasty snack.

Their love of Cheddar Pirate's Booty aside, their burrowing activities are actually quite important ecologically. Burrowing owls use the squirrels' holes as a hangout. There are a few owls that winter at the marina, and there is a fenced-off area marked with signs asking people not to point out the owls, in case hawks follow their fingers right to the snack.


Also, second loon sighting of the year! A Common loon, I think. Its neckline looks a bit more notchy than the Pacific... somehow I keep seeing every waterbird in drab winter plumage... I should have made it my goal to see one in breeding plumage...