First, nice article in the paper about our loosestrife pullers. Now my
wife wants to know why I don't participate...hmm...it'd get me out of
the office, anyway.

Second, we were in northeast New Mexico a couple of weeks ago, at the
Las Vegas (NM) NWR, and had a wonderful time with very diverse bunches
of sparrows and excellent raptors, but we also saw an icterid that's
driving us batty.

Clearly blackbird-shaped and sized, about the same size as a
red-winged, typical blackbird bill, eye dark. Whole bird black except
for a fairly bright orange bib extending from just below the base of
the bill well down onto the chest. No wing patches.

We saw a flock of about a dozen of these birds, each essentially
identical. I'm wondering if they're redwing x yellowhead crosses, does
that seem possible? Both are supposedly common at the site, although
we saw no yellowheads in our two days there. Basically these were
entirely black blackbirds with orange bibs. Any suggestions?

Josh