May 12, Special Update: Today I observed a first for me, after more that thirty years of observing Bobolink flocks during spring migration. Bobolinks migrate through this area each year, usually starting the last week of April continuing into the first couple of weeks of May. Then they disappear from the area until once again they appear in late April the following year to repeat the cycle. Male Bobolinks are one of my favorite birds that I see at the refuge each year. I enjoy looking at their unique plumage and listening to there seemingly incessant bubbly song. Migration patterns of Bobolinks are not yet fully understood. They have some of the longest migration paths of any passerine in the western hemisphere. Some go as far north as Canada and then return to their wintering grounds in central and southern South American, covering a distance of as much as twelve thousand miles, often flying distances of up to 1100 miles in a single day. The odd thing is that in migration here you see almost exclusively male birds. The females migrate farther east of here. But after all these years of observing them in migration I finally saw a female and was fortunate enough to capture a photo of the bird. Some of the nicknames the birds have been called are "reed birds" or "ricebirds" for their consumption of large amounts of grain from rice fields and are considered pests by some farmers. During their stay at the refuge they feed in the vetch fields feeding on seed heads and on the ground for fallen seeds and insects. They are also quite fond of armyworm moths. During their stay here they draw crowds of spectators in awe of the seasonal spectacle. Thanks for looking.