The Sultan of Seeds

This bold fellow has a harem of five females. Several times every day he brings them to visit the feeders, carefully checking out the area for cats before he calls the ladies in.

I've read that red-winged blackbirds nest in the reeds near a marshy area, so they must live alongside the stream that runs through our back pasture.

There are two other males in their flock but they are much smaller and obviously less mature, with yellow bars on their wings but no red shoulders. I've seen him chase the young guys off several times. Making sure his genes get passed along.

"MY seeds! MY ladies!! Right this way, girls, you need to keep up your strength...being eggs-pecting, that is."