Yellow-headed Blackbird

One of my favorite birds from the 2008 ABA Convention was Yellow-headed Blackbird. Ironically, this was not a life bird for me. I managed to get a fleeting glimpse of one during the 2005 ABA Convention while visiting a place called Arivaca Cienega. During this trip out west, however, I got lots of very long looks at Yellow-headed Blackbird, including the one who posed so nicely for my photograph.

If you compare the setting for this Yellow-headed Blackbird photo to that of the Western Meadowlark photo, they might look nearly the same. Both birds are standing on top of a wooden post. The posts are different posts, but they were both along the walkway outside the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge visitor center. This Yellow-headed Blackbird was making the rounds between three or four different roosts, stopping to preen and sing on each. The wooden post was one of his stops, so I positioned myself where the light was favorable and waited for him to return.