A little more about blackbirds

It’s not unusual for blackbirds to gather in large flocks here in the Valley late winter/early spring.

 

 

Great clouds of them gather over agricultural fields and can include grackles, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, bronzed cowbirds, and starlings.

 

I took these photos of some in 2017.

 

 

 

They were doing that murmuration thing where they fly around in a tight flock in swirling and shape-shifting patterns.  I caught a little bit of the end of a flight just as they were settling back down.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2oq4baajW8

 They don’t normally flock up right in our park, but they’re doing it again today, swirling and chattering their way through the afternoon.