Date: 1/12/26 1:32 pm From: Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: A flood of Red-wings (Sequoyah NWR)
Joe, I think you should change the X into 40,000. If not it won't count, so to speak, when a 100 years from now someone wonders where did they all go....
I had a roughly similar experience day before yesterday in Belize, on way back from Guatemala. The tree with the white flowers. Take a look. https://ebird.org/checklist/S293587617 On Monday, 12 January 2026 at 09:31:04 am GMT-6, Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
#yiv3864660940 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}When it comes to SPECTACULAR in winter, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at dusk, coming to roost – sun going down red -- rates up there. Unmistakable definition of life.As a nesting bird, common and widespread over entire continental North America up to treeline. Then for winter all that life force surging into our continental south. Yesterday evening we had front row seats to experience continent-wide. Forces us out of our little boxes misnamed “reality.” The awe for which there is no word.First it was a dribble, then avian “Flood of ’27.” A harvested field and an open sky, filled with tens of thousands of living creatures – and a Barred Owl calling – and a Coyote running – and a Red-tailed Hawk watching -- preparing to roost for the night. Oh ye of little faith in the power of life to have its say, to have its way, regardless of what we do … or say … or think … or do stupid in our curious backward-looking politics … There will be Red-winged Blackbirds to sing “oh kee laaaa” when we have finished turning our part of this planet into smoking, stinking rubble in pursuit of our strange idol, gold.All of this on the tour road, through Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, on Arkansas River, near Sallisaw, Oklahoma: Watching them last night, more and more flying into the field -- we were numbed, more or less, to the numbers. But later I asked if it would be outrageous to think there was at least 1 RWBB per square foot in the field – say the roughly acre or thereabouts with highest density in front of us, stunned and standing on tour road.In this pre-roost situation, I assume the birds might try for a last few morsels to help carry them through the night. And they might be practicing the crowded closeness required in an overnight roost. If 1 bird per square foot = we had more than 40,000 Red-winged Blackbirds.Here’s the eBird submission: https://ebird.org/checklist/S293866906
