Brewer's Blackbird

While looking at Elephant Seals this Brewer’s Blackbird flew down to one of the puddles to take a quick bath after chasing off the female. I was delighted to see this bird because we don’t have them in West Virginia where I live.

While reading about them I learned that they nest in colonies of up to 100 birds. The first females arrive choose a nest site to suit them, and later, arrivals follow suit. A female is the bird at the top of the photo below.

John James Audubon was a friend and fellow naturalist to Thomas Mayo Brewer (1814-1880) to whom he named a duck, this blackbird and a rodent found on Martha’s vineyard. Hence, the name Brewer’s Blackbird is the common name used today. Brewer was a well known ornithologist of his time, contributing to many publications including A History of North American Birds.