Early in March, the male Redwing arrives. It is not until two or three
weeks later that the female comes from the south to join his company and
to sail about over the cat-tails of the marsh. When August has gone by,
the adult Blackbirds are seldom seen. It is in July that the young and
old birds congregate in large flocks to prepare themselves for the
journey southward. Red-winged Blackbirds from farther north may be seen
as late as October.
Markings: The male Red-winged Blackbird is of a faultless glossy black
with shoulder patches, or epaulets, of a bright scarlet, edged
with gold. His mate is of a more sober appearance--streaked with
modest brown.
Song: Henry D. Thoreau described the Red-winged Blackbird's song
as--"_Chonk-a-ree_." These free, truly bubbling notes are given
again and again as the birds go about their everyday tasks in the
Spring. The arrival of the females, however, is perhaps the signal
for the greatest singing effort on the part of the males. It is at
this time, especially, that the marshland is fairly alive with the
rich reed-like song that
repeats--"_Conk-a-ree_"--"_Conk-a-ree_"--"_Conk-a-ree_"!
Nest: The nest of this bird is woven of grasses, weed-stalks and
rootlets. Sometimes it is built in a friendly, compact mass of
cat-tail, and other nests may be seen in low bushes or tussocks.
These Redwings do not welcome visitors to their nesting sites.
They raise very strenuous objections, and, in their attempt to
drive away the intruder, bird, beast or man, they will fly very
near, scolding in harsh tones the meanwhile.
Eggs: The eggs of the Red-winged Blackbirds are truly unusual in their
markings. They are of a pale blue ground, or base color, and are
often scrawled over with a dark purple or black. They appear to
have been stepped upon by a bird that has first dipped its toes in
a bottle of ink. These eggs are from three to five in number.
[Illustration: _The Red-winged Blackbird--9½ inches_]