A pied-billed grebe male with breeding markings, 2 northern flickers, and
several hooded mergansers at Collins Lake this morning. Singing white-throated
sparrows, 2 pair of ring-necked ducks, and numerous rusty blackbirds at Vischer
Ferry Sunday.

On rusty blackbirds - in case you are wondering why my enthusiasm for such a
plain looking blackbird with a voice of complex gurgles and high-pitched squeaks
. . .

Lacking the charisma of palm warblers and gray jays, the rusty blackbird like
them is a true northern boreal breeding species. Its population has plummeted an
estimated 90% over the years and is a bird at significant risk. With only a
small isolated population in the Adirondacks (over years of visiting boreal
places, I have only found them at one place breeding in May - not in but near
Spring Pond Bog.

This bird is more common in Alaska and the boreal woodlands of Canada. Thus
being able to view them at Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve briefly gives us the
opportunity to see such northern birds here! Finally, rusty blackbirds are more
commonly seen around here during fall migration when their plumage supports
their name-rusty colors on both males and females. Vischer Ferry seems to be a
reliable place in April to get a rarer glimpse of the male in breeding plumage -
all black. A search of the web turns up few good photos of the breeding male. So
seeing them at Vischer Ferry is a treat. (While grackles and red-winged
blackbirds are commonly seen in the open along the old canals and tow-paths, the
rusties prefer the deeper shrub and tree wet areas. Voice is the best way to
find and ID them).

This is another new photo of a breeding male, unfortunately in afternoon harsh
lighting:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7691/rustyblackbird014.jpg


Jeff Nadler