While doing some work in California last summer, there was one property in particular that had very aggressive Red-winged Blackbirds (RWBL). I would get dive-bombed repeatedly while there, and had constant companions hovering about 10 feet over my head squawking at me - made doing point counts, trying to listen for everything else real interesting! I did not get attacked or pecked, but I had many a feather bap me in the back of the head, or flip my hair up. They are definitely brave little birds.

Not sure, it's all subjective, but I think Anna's Hummingbirds (ANHU) would take them on aggressive behaviour, especially towards other feathered creatures. I have seen ANHU's chasing Sharp-shinned Hawks (!!) through a friends backyard. And once about a year and a half ago, I was walking Ballard and saw a crow flying iverhead and a little on front of me. I'd estimate it was about 4-500 feet above the ground, flying south and east. All of a sudden, it started to tilt back and forth, like it was taking evasive action! It was strange, because I couldn't see what the problem was. This lasted about 2-3 seconds, and the crow just dive-bombed, dropped straight down like an absolute rock until it was only about 50 feet above the ground. About this time, I noticed a little tiny dot behind the crow, following it by about 5 feet. An Anna's just blistering, had apparently seen the crow flying over it's territory and flew all the way up there to give chase. Well, when the crow finally !
flattened
out, it was really rocketing forward, and apparently the ANHU finally let it go. But boy they are awesome to watch when they get their dander up!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com

carenp <carenp at totalise.co.uk> wrote:
at juanita bay park, the RWBLs will build nests that are far too frequently right alongside the boardwalks... and, each year, more than a few people are amazed when a female (mostly) will bounce off of them at velocity while the biped does nothing more than walk said trail... (grin)

for what it's worth, i've also seen breeding males harassing everything at the park from our resident eagles to great blue herons, more often than not bouncing instead of simple fly-bys...

00 caren
http://www.parkgallery.org
near seward park

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of LDavey at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, 2006 January 31 11:23
To: diane_weinstein at msn.com; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Angry Redwing Blackbird


Dian,

I've always said Redwing Blackbirds are the real deal. When Bald Eagles come calling, crows are mere pretenders to the crown. They'll dive and swoop and harass the Eagle senseless, but it's the Redwing Blackbird that will get physical and actually peck the Eagle if it gets too close to their nests, or food source. :)

Linda Davey
on Pine Lake
Sammamish, WA
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