Looking Over The Marsh -- Female Red-Winged Blackbird at Merced National Wildlife Refuge, California Wood Print

This female lacks the male's black body and red markings that give the species it's name, but her brown speckled pattern gives her the edge when it comes time to blend into the background to avoid predators that would eat her or her eggs.

This pretty lady was photographed at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge in central California. She will build her nest near the ground in vegetation such as these cat-tails or other grass-like vegetation. The nests range from four to seven inches across and three to seven inches deep. She will weave stringy plant material around the stems of the grasses to create a base, then adds wet leaves and decayed wood to that base which she plasters with mud to make a cup. The cup is lined with fine, dry grasses..

I have been photographing the things I see for over thirty years. A resident of San Luis Obispo County, I'm lucky to have many excellent photo destinations within a few minutes' or hours' drive. Beyond the local area, I have traveled throughout California and the western United States, visited far away American destinations such as Chicago, New York, Florida, and Alaska, and international destinations in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. My photography varies from Architecture to Industrial Art to Nature to Wildlife and I'm sure you'll find something suitable for your home or office. Visit my blog