Hello, Yellow

A Yellow-headed Blackbird has been traversing the skies over Monhegan Island, Maine, for the past couple of days. This westerner heads east now and then, more commonly reaching the Midwest. Occasionally one or two will land here on this small rock off Maine’s midcoast. Bill Thompson (who got this shot), Josh Lincoln and I caught up with him near the Monhegan church before we went in for breakfast on Friday. The scientific name for this bird is Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, which basically means yelow-headed bird with a yellow head. Need we say more? (And this is an immature – the adult male offers up an explosion of highway-paint yellow.)