It’s Nice to See You Again: March 8, 2022

I probably haven’t seen a Grackle since last October and was pleased to find several today at Humber Bay.

Common Grackle

Old bird guides list Grackles as either “Purple Grackles” or “Bronzed Grackles.” These days they are all called Common Grackles but this one would have formerly been a Bronzed Grackle.

Common Grackle

I love the description which my grandfather, Dr. J. Murray Speirs, wrote in 1985:

These are the “snooty” big blackbirds that waddle across the lawn with “their noses in the air”, puffing themselves up with pride, then collapsing to expel love songs that sound like rusty hinges.

Common Grackle
Common Grackle
Common Grackle

A friend calls them the ”gangsters of the bird world.”

Common Grackle

I took so many photos today that I include only the land birds and will make a separate post for the waterfowl.

House Sparrow (female)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbirds (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Northern Cardinal (female)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Northern Mockingbird
Red-breasted nuthatch
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Cardinal (male)
Northern Mockingbird
Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Mourning Doves
American Goldfinch (female)

Beaver are normally nocturnal, but we saw one today:

Beaver

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds that you plant.                               – Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)

Miles Hearn

3 thoughts on “It’s Nice to See You Again: March 8, 2022

  1. Margaret Bream

    Fabulous shots, Miles!!!
    Wish I had taken them. A lovely welcome back to our grackles. I adore them.
    Beautiful work.
    Margaret

    Reply
  2. rosemarie fischer

    beautiful pics,love the description your grandfather had,it’s sooo true. Looks like Spring is about to spring.
    About time!!! thanks Miles…..

    Reply
  3. Gloria James

    Thanks for the pictures — spring is indeed on the way. Are the grackles about the size of a crow?

    Reply

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