The Red Winged Blackbirds

The Red Winged Blackbirds

Railroad men have been hand feeding them for over 115 years.

The Red Winged Blackbirds that live on the Eastern edge of Kirk Yard, Gary, Indiana are quite unique. They live in a swampy area about one mile South of the Southern tip of Lake Michigan. Back in the late 1800’s they built a railroad track through this swampy area that would be known today as an “environmentally sensitive” area. From West Gate to what is known as the CLS&E wye (about 3000 feet), the Red Winged Blackbirds have made their home. They make their nests in the bushes along the track where they raise their young. By today’s standards building a track through this area would probably be impossible because of the Red Winged Blackbirds and many other species of animals and insects that inhabit this area.

Trains on the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway leave or enter Kirk Yard at 10 mph. (The Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railroad was purchased by the Canadian National and no longer exists. It is now a fallen flag). Crews on the engines and caboose’s would toss bread from their sandwiches out to the wild birds as they were slowly rolling along. Over a long period of time some very unique things started to happen.

Birds To Beggars

These wild birds were always ready for a free treat. Things progressed when instead of just tossing the bread out on the ground for the birds, crew members would hold the bread between their fingers allowing the birds to fly up and snatch the bread on the wing. Younger birds were not so brave at first but were good students watching the older birds getting all of the treats. So in the beginning to help train the younger ones I would toss the bread on the ground for them to help them learn.

One of the interesting things about the Red Winged Blackbirds was if you happened to either forget or not have any treats for them, they were not very happy. They would fly up and sit on the engine railings, looking at you through the window and squawk like hell. I’m sure they were saying things in bird language that if translated to English would not be fit for tender human ears. They would be very loud, spoiled and persistent.

Almost all of the time it was the males that were taking the bread but certain times of the year the smaller dingy, brown, no color females would also get in on the action for their share of the treats. I think that those birds are territorial but it seemed to me that there must have been at least 20 pairs or more only in that small area. When bringing trains into the yard I’ve had the birds follow my train several hundred feet into the yard where there wasn’t any trees, brush or any kind of cover for them.

Much Healthier Treats

I did some reading about Red Wing Blackbirds and wild birds in general and it turns out that bread is not really all that good for them. It is hard for them to digest. Then I started bringing cracked corn for them and wow what a big difference that made. Pardon the comparison but they acted like I had crack cocaine for them instead of cracked corn. They really loved the corn.

Then one afternoon I was bringing a train into Kirk Yard and I was already a couple hundred feet beyond their territory but a lot of them would follow the train that far. I reached over into my work bag to retrieve something and that made me lean over some bringing my hand from outside the locomotive window to actually inside the cab. That was when I felt a bird land on my hand inside the locomotive and it was eating the cracked corn in my palm. (See the cover picture) This had never happened before. I always had my camera with me and it was sitting on the dashboard of the locomotive.

I Got The Picture

Cameras are a right handed affair but I managed to get the picture left handed. Try that sometime because it is not that easy. I was thinking that the bird would fly away before I could take the picture but instead it sat on my hand for several minutes. This wild bird was showing complete trust in me that I would not harm it. To me it was a special moment in time where man and nature were joined in complete harmony. I respected that, understanding just how unique and special that moment in time was.

There are just a few things that I miss since I retired but this experience is right at the top of that list. It was just another day on the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway.

More reading at: “Railroad Stories From The EJ&E Railroad” on Face Book or my book here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RYLF795

William O’Neal Stringer