Outdoors -- Do I know my birdcalls?

For a couple of years I've been hearing a call and saying, how could we have red-wing blackbirds around my block?
Red-wing blackbirds love perching on reeds at lakes.  The lake in my town is a good half hour walk away.
But I was hearing their "Booker TEE!" no more than five minutes away.
This morning I was looking out to make sure squirrels weren't stealing bird food and a black bird landed on the snow.
And turned to one side.
And I could see the two bars near the top of the wing, the red one and the yellow one, that mark the red-winged blackbird.
I was glad to see him because he reminded me of living on a farm in my teen years.  We had a big pond and we heard these birds all the time.

Also heard a woodpecker tapping this morning.  We have both downies and pileated around here, with all the trees.  My sister in Ohio complained she didn't hear them any more and I pointed out that with all the panic about trees disrupting power, communities are cutting back all the deadwood where woodpeckers find their bugs.
I also hear their "whinny" call sometimes, so even when they aren't actively hunting, I still know they're around.
© Patricia Heil, 2013-2018 All Rights. Reserved