Date: 3/4/26 9:28 am From: Russell Benedict <BenedictR...> Subject: [ia-bird] lots of Rusty BBirds
Good morning,
Had a nice surprise yesterday evening in my yard. Roughly 300 Rusty Blackbirds gathered noisily in tall trees bordering my prairie planting. The group began with about ten individuals and gradually was joined by additional small flocks. Many of them were singing away, so the sound of rusty hinges filled the air! As sunset neared, they headed out, making for the bogs of Canada. Fun to think about where they breed in North America, much of which is roadless wilderness. As I looked at them, I wondered how many more humans they would see over the course of the next several months. Russ between Pella and Knoxville.
Russ Benedict
Professor of Biology
Director of Prairies For Agriculture Project
Department of Biology, Central College
812 University Street | Campus Box 09 | Pella, Iowa 50219
