Something you should know about red-winged blackbirds

If you bike in Iowa in June and July, you will come to view the red-winged blackbird. My first spring here in Iowa, I was so excited when one of these little gems alighted upon my meager bird feeder!  Back in Chicago, I didn't even keep a bird feeder because I absolutely detested Chicago's only native bird, the pigeon. Correction, the fat-seemingly-over-fed-pigeon. So when we moved to our acreage,  the bird feeder was my second purchase after the swing set. And, lucky me, these somewhat "colorful" birds came to visit. I suppose they aren't really "colorful", but they do sport that telltale red wing. You notice them. Now, when out on a bike ride, you also notice them, but not because of their red wing. No, these birds are actually dive-bombers.  They lurk upon the telephone wires just waiting for something other than a car to roll by so that they can pester and threaten.  Which they do.  I have become convinced that a day will come when one of these "gems" will roost on my bike helmet, start pecking madly, and cause me to veer all over the rode until some unsuspecting driver whizzes by and runs me over, thus ending my misery.  Be clear, that I have never been touched by one of these menaces.  However, my bike helmet is covered in purple flowers, which I believe they find attractive. These menaces leave their wire perches and seem to fly directly above my head, tweeting away about my invasion of their nesting atmosphere.  If I didn't have such a death grip on my handlebars, I would wave my hand and knock the bird away.  That's how close they seem when you're pedaling furiously into the wind and smelling newly fertilized soil and wondering when the horrifying tweeting will end.  These little guys put a new fear into my summertime bike rides. I have taken to singing very loud and off-key whenever they approach. This seems to help. I have noticed that Mary Had a Little Lamb is not a threatening song to them, but anything by the Rolling Stones is. I really Can't Get No Satisfaction with these guys following me.  I continue to tolerate them at me feeder, but just really wish they would stay off the road.  A least those pigeons in Chicago were never a threat to my bike. I a,  it even certain that they actually flew.