Subject: Great-tailed Grackle in Auburn
Date: Oct 21 15:30:34 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - GODWIT at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I ventured over to the SuperMall in Auburn and relocated
and photographed the GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE(that Michael Willison previously
reported on the 19th of October)between 11:45am-12:15pm,after carefully
driving through the northern SuperMall complex and locating the bird at the
southern portion of the SuperMall Theater parking lot. The bird flew in with
a small flock of noticeably smaller Brewer's Blackbirds from the north
behind the theater and foraged loosely with the blackbirds near the theater
garbage area allowing close approach. The bird remained in the south theater
parking lot foraging loosely with the blackbirds and allowing us to feed it
bread and photograph the bird at different angles,as it foraged in the
planted vegetation islands around the parking lot. The bird was visible in
this immediate area until a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew nearby at 12:15pm and
scattered the entire flock of 25-30 Brewer's Blackbirds and the Great-tailed
Grackle,which the latter flew away with a small flock of Brewer's Blackbirds
to the north over and behind the theater. We continued at the location until
1:30pm,but were unable to relocate the Great-tailed Grackle,as we checked
and searched different areas of the entire SuperMall complex.

In general the bird was noticeably larger than the nearby Brewer's
Blackbirds and slightly smaller than nearby American Crows at the
location,in which the bird appeared to be an adult female due to the
noticeable pale supercillium, upperparts and yellow eyes contrasting to the
dark blue/purple back,crown and tail. In detail the pale brown upperparts
were described as showing a noticeable scalloped or mottled effect on the
upperbreast and paler brown/gray above,being darkest in tone and color below
on the belly. The tail was long was noticeably long and rounded in
flight(squarish in standing bird) in relation to the body structure,and the
black bill was thick and fairly long. The bird was unvocal,unlike the nearby
foraging Brewer's Blackbirds,but the bird was much more active and
deliberate in behavior compared to the smaller Brewer's Blackbirds,which of
both species were quite tame and tolerable of our presence and nearby
oncomers using the parking lot going into the theater.

Perhaps the bird may remain in the area going by the fairly tame behavior
and readily available food sources and it seems to tolerate human
disturbance well due to the bird's behavior and the fact that it forages
loosely with the Brewer's Blackbirds,as they search and forage throughout
the entire SuperMall complex. It is very possible the bird may have been at
this or a nearby location,but undetected until Michael Willison found it on
the 19th of October,eventhough it is much noticeably different in size and
shape than the nearby Brewer's Blackbirds and Am.Crows. Other species of
note in the general area included up to 17 California Gulls and 1
Ring-billed Gull that readily came into our offerings of bread handouts, and
8 Lesser Scaups and 4 Pied-billed Grebes in the SuperMall wetland. On our
way home my mother and I observed a single Western Scrub Jay along 38th
Street west of the Tacoma Mall in Tacoma.

We thank Michael for attempting to call us several times on the 19th,despite
us being on a two day birding trip,as we promised him we would check the
location out in search for the bird,after speaking with him yesterday
evening on the telephone.


Sincerely,

Ruth and Patick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net