Mike Donahue and I observed a male Great-tailed Grackle in Stanwood
today. It spent most of the time on the antennae of the house at 27259
102nd Ave NW, just south of where 102nd becomes the Old Pacific Highway
and the cross street, 276th Street. We watched it from about 1:30 until
2:20 pm during which Mike was able to take several photos of the bird.

Description: A very large icterid, body at least twice that of a male
Red-winged Blackbird. Shape: Rather long and slim, accentuated by the
longish bill, and very long tail; forehead and crown flat, not round,
although this was less apparent when the feathers above the eyes were
fluffed in reaction to the temperature. Tail: strongly graduated; held
keeled, outer feathers held higher than central rectrices; very long
length was more than half the total length of the bird. Plumage:
uniformly glossy black, with a purplish sheen at least on head and
underparts. Bill: long, fairly heavy and slightly decurved at tip. Eyes:
pale yellowish.

Told from all other blackbirds except other grackles by the very long
keeled tail. Common Grackle at least one third smaller in size with
shorter, more proportionate tail. Boat-tailed is more problematic,
although extremely unlikely outside of range (Gulf and East Coast).
Boat-tailed males have eye color generally brown or dull yellow varying
geographically. Crown also tends to be more rounded and less flat.
Great-tailed Grackle has been expanding its range on the West coast both
coastally in southern California and in the interior to south-central
Oregon. There is at least one prior Washington State (east of the
Cascades) record and several from Idaho.

Other species of note: Five falcon species from the Skagit and Samish
flats, inlcuding a Gyrfalcon, brown morph along Bayview Edison Road near
Sullivan Road; an American Bittern at the North Access of the Skagit
Wildife Area, and two Snowy Owls at the Big Ditch Access of the Skagit
Wildlife Area.
_____________________________
Alan J. Knue
bluecrow at home.com
Seattle, WA