Female Brewer's Blackbird in AutumnFemale Brewer’s Blackbird in Autumn – Nikon D500, f8, 1/2500, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

It dawned on me that I have posted black or plain brown birds for 7 days in a row now and I am adding one more day to that with these photos of two Brewer’s Blackbirds that I photographed yesterday at Farmington Bay WMA. There was a large flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds near Glover’s Pond yesterday morning and I just had to take some images of them.

This female Brewer’s Blackbird was perched on a fence post in front of the pond, the blue behind her is the pond, not sky. When I first saw her she was fluffing her feathers and preening, in my image though she appears to be giving me the old “stink eye”. She didn’t hang around long, all of the birds in the area lifted off at once so they may have seen a predator in the sky I just couldn’t see.

Fun fact: A group of Brewer’s Blackbirds is called a “keg”.

Male Brewer's Blackbird catching a midgeMale Brewer’s Blackbird catching a midge – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I also saw plenty of male Brewer’s Blackbirds yesterday morning. I was photographing this male blackbird on an old, bleached out and weathered pallet next to the road before and just as he caught a flying midge right by snatching it right out of the air. The two photos after this one showed the midge in the blackbird’s bill but unfortunately I lost focus and those images were not sharp, they went into my delete bin.

I always have fun photographing Brewer’s Blackbirds even though they are a challenge to expose properly, it is precisely that challenge that keeps me on my toes.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Brewer’s Blackbird photos plus facts and information about this species.