Went to Beaver Creek WMA in Fillmore County tonight, 3 miles from Iowa. = I counted 43 separate flocks of Blackbirds that flew over us tonight, = and I am guessing there were an average of 30 birds per flock. 80% of = the birds I could ID were Red-winged Blackbirds, the others I could ID = were Common Grackles. I saw some birds that were mixed in that could = have been Rusty Blackbirds but I cannot tell by call alone and they were = all on the move. So, in 2 hours from 1 spot, I saw over 1200 Blackbirds, = migration is booming. When we got to the field at 4:00 PM, there were no = Red-wings in sight, none singing or displaying. By 6:00 PM, they were = everywhere singing. Rich Peet recorded at least 12 different call notes = and songs for Red-winged Blackbirds alone. A flock of 15 Robins moved = through, 3 flocks of Horned Larks flew over, their two note musical call = notes throwing me off at first. Lapland Longspurs rattled overhead. 3 = Killdeers were seen, along with a Rough-legged Hawk (light morph), an = American Kestrel (male) and a 1st year Bald Eagle. We recorded an = overhead call note that had a Blue bird quality to it, but was not the = Eastern call I am familiar with. After listening to Bill Evans' night = call note CD, it may have been a group of Mountain Bluebirds. Single = note calls, slightly less musical than Eastern calls. Not definitive = enough to warrant a seasonal report listing, but I can at least call out = the maybes here in this forum. Get a copy of his recordings, it is worth = the cost many times over. Good Birding.
