Some birds are angry at Tipton Park

A recent walk through Bloomington's Tipton Park left KelleyWickenhauser wondering if she were an actress in a remake ofHitchcock's classic movie "The Birds" or a character in the popularphone app "Angry Birds."

The program manager at Four Seasons Association was attacked by aredwing blackbird.

"I learned I can do a good sprint in 150-degree weather, that'sfor sure," said Wickenhauser.

She later learned she wasn't the only target of diving birds bychecking with the staff at the nearby Four Seasons Association II,where her office is located. Several members of the fitness club andstaff members reported similar incidents.

Wickenhauser likes to spend lunch hours sometimes walking onConstitution Trail, which meanders through the park. Most often, thewalk is peaceful, a time to regroup for the busy afternoon.

But on this occasion, she felt something hit the back of herhead. At first, she thought the offender was probably a peskyJapanese beetle. But when she reached back, what she felt somethingmuch bigger. She turned and looked and saw a redwing making a mid-air turn to dive at her again. That moment her walk turned to a run.

"I'm sure I looked like a crazy woman," she said. "I was shocked.I can't believe that happened to me. I can feel its claws on myhead. It was gross."

She mentioned the experience at the desk at Four Seasons II toother staff members, only to hear of other attacks. When shementioned it to a friend of a staff person, he said his brother hada similar incident in the park. Another staff member described thesame thing.

A bigger surprise came when she did a Google search on theInternet for "blackbird attacks." Many links popped up to newspaperstories and forum entries by people who were pursued by the birds.Most theorized the humans were encroaching on the birds' territorywhile nesting.

Angelo Capparella, a bird expert in the biology department atIllinois State, agreed that theory was likely. Unlike other birdsthat nest in trees, these marsh birds nest in reeds around waterthat are only about three feet off the ground. The problem shouldtake care of itself by the end of the month when the second breedingseason of the year comes to an end, he said.

Or perhaps not. Individual birds can have strange habits, hesaid, such as birds that appear to fight with their own reflections.He's had calls from homeowners who are driven batty by birds thatdive at their windows all day.

One article Wickenhauser found on the Internet offeredsuggestions on what to do.

"You're supposed to stare them down. Oh really? Or you're to barklike a dog. Can you imagine what the homeowners (bordering thetrail) would think?"

She also refuses to wear a bike helmet on her walks. AsCapparella suggested, she just plans to avoid the area until theyoung birds fly from the nests.

Hopefully, they'll be friendlier than their moms.

Scott Richardson is Pantagraph outdoor editor. Contact him at(309) 820-3227 or email srichardson@pantagraph.com. Share storiesand read past outdoor and fishing columns at www.pantagraph.com/blogs

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