![Thousands of red-winged blackbirds descend on local open space Thousands of red-winged blackbirds descend on local open space](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2023/12-04-2023-Valente-Blackbirds/i-DWgHN8k/0/cff25f3c/X4/20231204%2014-52-38%200007-X4.jpg)
After work one day last week I went for a walk through an area open space. There wasn’t much excitement to photograph but there was this crazy scene – what must have been thousands of red-winged blackbirds. Called a “murmuration”, these huge gatherings of blackbirds are guessed to be done as predator avoidance. It was cool to see and hear although I suppose if Hitchcock’s “The Birds” gave you nightmares, you might not have cared for it. 🙂
![Thousands of red-winged blackbirds put on a display. (© Tony's Takes)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2023/12-04-2023-Valente-Blackbirds/i-zcDfkWT/0/bd04d9ac/X4/20231204%2014-50-38%200002-X4.jpg)
![A murmuration of red winged blackbirds takes off. (© Tony's Takes)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2023/12-04-2023-Valente-Blackbirds/i-m6FGBkn/0/f1dbcce6/X4/20231204%2014-50-57%200004-X4.jpg)