Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Tuesday, February 20. 2024

Grackle Migration

Flocks of Purple Grackles (along with other blackbirds like Cowbirds, Redwings) always pass through on their way north around St. Valentine's Day.


It is still winter but they are rugged. They seem to like marshes at this time of year along with the other species of blackbirds, probably due to snow cover everywhere else.

Posted by Bird Dog in Natural History and Conservation at 14:20 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0)

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The bane of all backyard birders ... They can pillage feeders literally overnight. And they adapt ... a few years back Red Winged Blackbirds didn't land on feeders. They do now! Safflower seed is my friend.
#1 Frankns on 2024-02-20 19:29 (Reply)
I have to admit to a soft spot for grackles. They remind me of Mr. Turveydrop and his deportment.

That and Victorian undertakers.

Of course, we don't get mobs of them or I might take a dimmer view. What we get is starlings, which don't even have the grace to look elegant.
#2 Codfanglers on 2024-02-21 07:32 (Reply)
I too find the grackles entertaining but don't appreciate a mob. The starlings cause a massive mess when certain things in their diet are ready to be eaten then fortunately they move on.
#2.1 JC on 2024-02-21 07:34 (Reply)
I used to hate grackles because of the way they mobbed my bird feeders and drove the other birds away. I don't have bird feeders anymore, so I'm indifferent to them.

But I saw the strangest thing the other day. Outside my window, there must have been a couple of dozen robins hunting in the grass, after the snow melted. I suppose something hatched or worms came up. But I've never seen robins flock like that. Then the next day, there weren't so many robins, but there were grackles everywhere, and they do flock.
#3 RebeccaH on 2024-02-21 10:43 (Reply)
Robins flock at our cat bowls, but I think it's more a Black Friday mob event than migration-related.

We provide a daily offering of industrial-grade dry kibbles to the robin/starling gangs by way of giving the cats a chance at the Meow Mix—which they like for dessert after canned breakfast.
#3.1 Codfanglers on 2024-02-21 11:45 (Reply)

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