Dear Tweeters,
This morning, the eighth of June 2018, there was a "Bronzed" Common Grackle at my feeders near Cockreham Island, Skagit County. When I get my eBird data entered, there will be photos with it.
I noticed the bird after I'd let the dogs out, and it flew up from the feeders and landed in the top of a pear tree. The grackle stayed there long enough for me to photograph it. It flew down to the front-yard feeders, then moved to the side-yard feeders. It began to act a bit nervous when a half-dozen Band-tailed Pigeons came in and starting acting like they owned the place. By then, I had to leave for work, so I called some other birders to let them know, and bid the bird farewell.
Alas, two friends got here shortly after I left, and the bird had already moved on--although they managed to see two Western Kingbirds, a species I had actually been searching for earlier in the morning, and had not seen!
This grackle was yard bird number 160, close upon the heels of the Black-chinned Hummingbird from five days ago.
In 2016, a male Calliope Hummingbird showed up at my feeders in May. At the time, I figured, "Whoa, that will surely be the yard-bird of the year!" A week later, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak visited the feeders, supplanting the hummer at the number-one spot. Its glory didn't last long--a couple of weeks later, a Brown Thrasher visited my back yard!
I am hoping that this pattern continues.
Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch
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