{"id":101531,"date":"2022-04-12T04:36:56","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T10:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=101531"},"modified":"2022-04-12T04:41:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T10:41:31","slug":"male-red-winged-blackbird-in-front-of-a-ranch-pond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/04\/12\/male-red-winged-blackbird-in-front-of-a-ranch-pond\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Red-winged Blackbird In Front Of A Ranch Pond"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Red-winged Blackbird perched in front of a ranch pond \u2013 Nikon D500, f9, 1\/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed this male Red-winged Blackbird in front of a ranch pond two days ago when it felt like spring in northern Utah. This morning there is snow on the ground. Winter has returned to where I live and the outside temps are below freezing.<\/p>\n

Warmer temps will prevail and spring will return but for now I think I will stay inside and keep warm. We needed the moisture this storm has provided but as usual this storm is too little, too late. We are still in a drought.<\/p>\n

Of course I am concerned about the birds that have already nested who may be incubating eggs or have chicks that have hatched already. I also worry about the insect eating birds that have just arrived on spring migration not having bugs to eat.<\/p>\n

This spring snow storm is part of nature. The strong will survive.<\/p>\n

An alternate title for this image could be “Black & Blue” because that is what I see when I glance at this image of a blackbird in front of the water of a ranch pond. The sun was still low enough for me to capture nice details in the dark plumage of the male blackbird. He must have been poking his bill into the mud around the pond because his bill is pretty dirty.<\/p>\n

I hope this blackbird is somewhere where he is protected from the wind and snow this morning.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-winged Blackbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I photographed this male Red-winged Blackbird in front of a ranch pond two days ago when it felt like spring in northern Utah. This morning there is snow on the ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":101527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1148,419,26],"tags":[4151,3813,3483,4098,898,4062,4104,1984,12829,11852,4324,4050,165,4500,3996,8917],"class_list":["post-101531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-red-winged-blackbirds","category-utah","tag-agelaius-phoeniceus","tag-blackbird","tag-blackbirds","tag-desert","tag-fence-post","tag-male","tag-perched","tag-pond","tag-ranch-pond","tag-ranchlands","tag-red-winged-blackbird","tag-snow","tag-spring","tag-storm","tag-water","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/red-winged-blackbird-male-fence-post-mia-mcpherson-6472.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-qpB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":121811,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/23\/urban-red-winged-blackbird-male-singing\/","url_meta":{"origin":101531,"position":0},"title":"Urban Red-winged Blackbird Male Singing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I dug way back into my files this morning to share this urban Red-winged Blackbird male singing. The date was February 23, 2014, the location was my local pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Urban Red-winged Blackbird male singing on a cattail, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-urban-songster-mia-mcpherson-0773.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-urban-songster-mia-mcpherson-0773.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-urban-songster-mia-mcpherson-0773.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/red-winged-blackbird-hatch-year-male-olive-mia-mcpherson-6166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/red-winged-blackbird-hatch-year-male-olive-mia-mcpherson-6166.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/red-winged-blackbird-hatch-year-male-olive-mia-mcpherson-6166.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/red-winged-blackbird-hatch-year-male-olive-mia-mcpherson-6166.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65045,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/22\/male-red-winged-blackbirds-are-displaying-on-territory\/","url_meta":{"origin":101531,"position":2},"title":"Male Red-winged Blackbirds Are Displaying On Territory","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago there were plenty of male Red-winged Blackbirds singing and putting on displays in the marshy areas of Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Red-winged Blackbird Song Spread, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-winged-blackbird-displaying-mia-mcpherson-2276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-winged-blackbird-displaying-mia-mcpherson-2276.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-winged-blackbird-displaying-mia-mcpherson-2276.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-winged-blackbird-displaying-mia-mcpherson-2276.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110464,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/02\/23\/male-red-winged-blackbird-foraging-in-grasses\/","url_meta":{"origin":101531,"position":3},"title":"Male Red-winged Blackbird Foraging In Grasses","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After a very busy day yesterday, I decided to share a simple photo this morning of a male Red-winged Blackbird foraging in grasses at Farmington Bay WMA.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-winged Blackbird foraging in grasses on the ground, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2894.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2894.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/red-winged-blackbird-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2894.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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McPherson","date":"February 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I drove to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge yesterday morning where I heard male Red-winged Blackbirds singing in the marsh.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Red-winged Blackbird male singing in February, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-adult-male-singing-mia-mcpherson-3655.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/red-winged-blackbird-adult-male-singing-mia-mcpherson-3655.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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