First Redwing of the season 2/17/07

Saw the first Redwing Blackbird of the year today...sitting at the feeder in our heaviest snow of the year (1 1/2 inches). I usually figure these guys are the true harbinger of spring since those dopey Robins hang out all year long freezing their tailfeathers off. I've heard people refer to Soldier Birds but never knew for sure if they meant Redwings or not...the Redwing has that chevron looking red on his wing. Does anybody know what a soldier bird is if its not a Redwing?

Don't know, but I too look for the redwing as the bearer of spring. I saw not one but a flock of robins one day last winter when it was 10 below in January. They switch to eatting out of feeders and frozen berries.
The redwing is better than that crazy groundhog too! Glad you hear you saw one, That means in a couple of weeks they may be spotted around here. We are suppose to warm up to maybe 30 by the end of the week. We have been sub zero now for a month each morning. It did break the 20 mark, but the wind is still bitter cold and the birds are all fluffed up yet.
Winter needs to start breaking and lead us into the next season....Mud.

My dad got his first redwing about 2 weeks ago. He is 9 miles north of me and always get the first one. It has been pretty regular at his feeders specially since the 20 inches of snow dumped on us last week. We both had our first below zero temp last night -0.2 but below!! Dad has also had a yellow shafted flicker at his suet everyday and a Carolina wren most days. He lives in a very small village. I live on the edge of a wooded gully and brush lot type field. We are continually comparing birds.

Hope you don't mind my $.02!!

Joy

I guess spring is a coming then!
We get our heaviest snow it seems in March. The last 3 years on March 2 we have been dumped on. 18" last year. We got pretty decent snow this year, the cold slows it down here it seems. We have about 8" on level in the woods, so it is not bad. There is alot of ice under, we had a very wet fall and lots of flooding that froze. It will be a wet spring when all that melts and the spring rains come. I don't mind 20', but this below zero stuff for a month gets to you. Hard on the wildlife too.