Our Birds Are BACK!!

Perhaps because Seattle had warmer (and rainier) that usual weather in January, the Redwinged Blackbirds returned to their usual spot on Greenlake. Usually they migrate South (Mexico?) in early winter and don't return until February or March. So we were overjoyed to see (and hear) them when we passed the traditional RWB bush on Greenlake. For many years my husband and I (among many other Greenlake walkers) hand fed the Redwinged Blackbirds, who land on our outstretched hands to eat chopped peanuts or other seeds. (We just bring peanuts.)

In recent years some Blackcapped Chickadees had joined the feeding frenzy at the bush. Actually the BCCs approach us (land on our hands to eat) much sooner than the RWBs. Usually the RWBs watch us warily until the first of their flock bravely lands on our hand to take a peanut. The braver RWBs (or birds who remember us from previous years) will remain on our hands up to five minutes as they gorge on peanuts. Most Chickadees prefer to eat in private. So they take one peanut, fly off to eat and return often for more peanuts. more often bravely approachthan the RWBs.

Sometimes other people, who walk the Greenlake path, see us with birds eating on our outstretched hands and ask: "Is that your bird?" I always answer: "NO, but he thinks I'm his human." After many days of feeding and increased familiarity, a few male RWBs become very possessive of their human feeders. They definitely have a 'pecking order' and can scare lesser RWBs from our hands. Usually males dominate the pecking order. However, a few familiar females will watch and wait for the dominant male to finish feeding. Then the female will take her turn and feed for a long time.

I most enjoy feeding the RWBs when they are raising families. The male and female birds will individually approach me, take one peanut and fly back to their nestlings. Their feet are often wet, because they land on wet water lily pads to catch bugs to take to their nestlings between peanut feedings. One summer my favorite female RBW (whom we named 'Rita') visited me many times as I sat on the grassy shore along the lake. She flew to me, took a peanut and then returned to her nest to feed her babies. Then I would see her fly to the water, return to the nest and feed her babies again. I realized she was feeding insects to her babies, beause she landed on my hand and 'traded' a dead insect for peanuts. Maybe she was trying to take peanuts and insects to her nestling, but realized decided to leave the insect with me and return after feeding her baby a peanut.

Feeding the Redwing Blackbirds and Blackcapped Chickadees (who land on our outstretched hands), American Coots (who come running to me while madly flapping their wings to get peanuts) and Crows (who recognize me no matter what I wear) motivates me (and my husband on weekends) to walk 3 miles around the lake rain or shine from early spring to early winter every day. They are not really 'our' birds, but we are some of the humans who feed them every year and make Greenlake home for migrating RedWinged Blackbirds and Coots. (Crows follow us year round but Chickadees only approach us when they RedWinged Blackbirds return.)