Elderly Red-winged Blackbird

I live within the Calgary city limits yet there is no shortage of healthy little hidden wetland gems in my area. I had been hanging out most evenings after work in the springtime at one of these for a couple weeks, and had gotten to know this old fella by watching his habits. This twig was a favourite spot of his. He was just as game and aggressive as all of his younger male competitors. In that couple of weeks I grew to admire and respect him and was starting to think of him as a soul to be respected. Then one day he was just gone and I never saw him again. I returned to that pond for weeks, but I looks like I lost a friend and I think of him often.