Interpretive dance or picking up food? Who can say and what must that song sparrow in back be thinking?

Well, as the mealworm bonanza continues behind the store, the red-winged blackbirds are having a gay old time taking advantage of this oh so stinky protien source. They do tend to pick out the livelier worms first but have also been taking the blackish dead ones as well. Yes, please get rid of my stinky inventory. Having birds behind the bird store is like having a trusty dog under the table when your parents serve you a nasty new recipe.

I have noticed that we have some different colored female red-winged blackbirds. Most females (like the one pictured left) are are a dull buff color with striping down the front and back. But we have a few that have some yellow highlights (like the bird pictured below). I'm not sure what causes this. I wonder if it has to do with diet. I know with house finches some males appear redder than others and it's based on diet.