Dear all; For any of you who didn't get to see the Great-tailed Grackle last year, you are in luck because it is back in the Spokane Valley at Liberty Lake Golf Course for the third year in a row. I believe this is only the third Great-tailed Grackle to be seen in Washington State. Their normal home is in the southern states like Texas. I heard it yesterday while golfing at the Meadowwood Golf Course across the street. So, this morning I stopped at the corner of Sprague and Molter with my grandson.

We sat there for about 15 minutes listening for the grackle's eerie call. At 9:20 am, we heard it directly over us in the evergreen trees. It glided from the south side of the intersection in front of us over to the small lake on the north side of the road for a drink of water. Then it flew low over the Meadowwood Golf Course about a quarter mile to the housing on the north side of the course. When it flies, it looks like a kite gently fluttering in the sky. It is crow sized counting the long tail. After golf, we stopped back there about 2:15 pm and it was back on the south side of the intersection hopping around in a large leafless tree between two large evergreen trees.

I believe that you can find it any day though June because that was the case the last two years. I think the best time is between 7 and 9 am and after that it may be anywhere in the neighborhood. It likes to hang out with the Brewer's Blackbirds and the best way to find it is to listen for it's eerie call. Similar at times to a Sora Rail. Last year when I didn't see it at the corner, I would often find it on the evergreen trees between the first and ninth holes on Meadowwood Golf Course about a half mile east of the intersection of Spoague and Molter. For any more info., just ask. Ron Dexter

Ron & Pat Dexter
Spokane, Wa.
Email: (Ronpatdexter at msn.com<mailto:Ronpatdexter at msn.com>)