Rusty Blackbird Courtship

 When I first came upon these Rusty Blackbirds last Friday, I stayed back and watched the show. The male was sitting high atop a tree, and the female was foraging in a ditch. He seemed to be keeping a look out, and she seemed to be gathering the food.

 When I scrutinized the photos more closely, she was not the one gathering food for the couple. The male had a large morsel in his mouth and was waiting for her to come get it.

 After about ten minutes, she flew up to join the male.

 He carefully fed her all the food he had gathered. I can only guess this is some final-stage courtship between the two before she withdraws to sitting on the nest.

It was obvious she wanted more, and the cupboard was bare. It was not long before they both flew off into the distance. My guess is these two birds will soon be less visible in the area as they go about their Spring business.