The General!

When the General gives orders, everyone on the Hill better listen up and obey! He rules the roost so to speak. He can clear the mess hall in seconds and can bring order to squabbles with just a flash of his epaulets. I have named one of the Red-winged Blackbirds as the General. He is quite the magnificent bird..so much larger than the other male Blackbirds that inhabit the marshes. His wing bars are glorious..the brightest red with a slight bit of gold peeking out from beneath the band. The black feathers that make up the rest of his uniform are the sleekest, shiniest of all the birds. He is gorgeous and I do believe he revels in this grandeur.

The General sits either in the top of a dead pine tree or on the highest limb of a Blackgum Tree that is right on the edge of the marsh near the pier. From this perch, he has full view of the entire area and can keep order of the fifty or so birds that make up his merl. (A merl being a group of Red-winged Blackbirds!) And what a job it must be to keep order! The young males are forever battling over territory! This seems to be more a practice aggression that helps them to defend their nests against all sorts of predators. They are known to attack birds of prey that are much, much larger than themselves and often work in groups to defend the nesting area. The General leads the attack..he is brave..he is valiant. He leads his troops with fairness..he chastises them all!

I have noticed that when the General comes to the feeders or birdbath..all others leave. The other Blackbirds respectfully depart to the edge of the marsh until he is finished with his meal and bath. He flies back to his post atop the dead pine and only then do they dare to make their way back to the feeders. Their ruckus evidently irritates him to no end as he will sometimes merely swoop over them with a screech as if to call them to attention. They mustn't forget that he is boss! Actually, most other birds leave the feeders as well..save for the woodpeckers and of all things the tiny Brown-headed Nuthatch. The General..always keeping peace on the Bayou!