The ninth week of Birds of the Bow Valley has photographer Michael W. Potter highlight the male red-winged blackbird, which is wellknown for its colours and gurgling song. The female is streaky brown with reddish highlights.
Cattail wetlands, as in this image from the Bow Valley, are a favourite habitat for these birds. This species has inspired songs by numerous musicians, including one by David Francey that has been covered by Calgary-born James Keelaghan, and one by Judy Collins.
Michael W. (Mike) Potter is a professional photographer specializing in birds. He is a former park interpreter in Banff National Park, and the author and photographer of eight books on hiking and natural history in the Canadian Rockies, distributed by Canmore-based Alpine Book Peddlers. Potter’s website is michaelwpotter.ca, which includes a link to his bird photographs on Flickr.