A Dickcissel sitting in tall grass along the Mississippi levee.
His eyes, with elf-like air did peer,
Then cheekily, he flew down near;
I watched in awe as he posed with pride,
His tittering chest expanded wide!
~Amanda Tuohy
Dickcissel
Dickcissel
Dickcissel
As you drive along the levee in the late spring, you can hear them calling to one another from among the dense, tall vegetation that grows along the embankment. Finally, you spot one perched on top of a plant stalk that’s swaying in the wind. He throws out his chest, tilts his head back and bellows a loud, sharp song. The dickcissels have once again arrived to nest and raise their young.
“In spring birds return from their tropical vacation. Six months later they regret their decision and go back.” ~Unknown
Immature Dickcissel
These photos of an immature Dickcissel were taken back in May along the Mississippi levee road. Though hard to see, the bird has a small, green insect in its beak.
“Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated … but stupid lasts forever.” ~Aristophanes
Perching along the levee
In May, the sounds of a variety of birds hidden in the tall, dense grass along the Mississippi levee fill the air. Seemingly out of nowhere, a bird will flutter through the air and alight on top of a tall weed stalk. It is interesting to slowly ride along the levee road, occasionally stopping to watch in silence, to see what different types of birds can be spotted.
male Bobolink
male Indigo bunting
male Dickcissel
immature male Orchard Oriole
Eastern Kingbird
male and female Red-winged blackbirds
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.” ~Robert Lynd
walking on a country road 