Birdsong

[urbpan]

Yesterday I had to go to work, to put in my mandatory special event time. Since for some reason there isn't much traffic on Sundays, I got there early. That was good, as it gave me a chance to go for a walk on the snow, and then I came across something pretty cool. In the trees overhead was a mixed flock of blackbirds. After I shot this video, I went to go see what they were. There were 30 or 40 male red-winged blackbirds, and a dozen or so starlings. I thought I heard grackles, but I wasn't certain that I could see them. There could have been other kinds of blackbirds--brewer's, bronzed, or rusty, or maybe some brown-headed cowbirds, but I could only make out the redwings and starlings.

This video is for listening. Close your eyes and enjoy. For the birdos, how many species can you pick out?
The woodpecker was on the other side of me, in the deer enclosure. I never saw it.

Comments

[treeclimber47.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much it, woodpeckers drum to declare possesion of breeding territory in the same way a songbird uses its voice. They choose a dead branch or other surface for its acoustical properties. A dead branch that's still hard and solid makes the best drum, a telephone pole could fit that description.

When a woodpecker hammers into wood to find insects it's a less regular rythym. The bird is using it's beak more like a chisel than a drumstick and is often working on semi-rotted wood.