Pbenjay's Blog

I love to watch birds hopping on and off my feeder in the backyard.  I also love the sound of their manic early morning chirping as dawn breaks and they descend upon the feeder for breakfast.  Mostly we get Sparrows and Chickadees, Morning Doves, sometimes a pair of Cardinals.  I have a couple of Blue Jays who periodically visit, not to eat from the feeder but rather to steal some of the peanuts left out on the table for the squirrels.  The jays do not have a pleasant voice at all but they are beautiful to look out and bold enough to land on the table or porch rail even though we are present.  Soon, as Spring overcomes winter, there will come a day when all of sudden I hear a lilting song and I know that the Red-Winged Blackbird has arrived!

Over the years we’ve been visited by Grossbeaks, Woodpeckers, Yellow Finches, House Finches, Cowbirds, Starlings, Robins as well as Blackbirds, and of course pigeons (those I chase away).  AND we get Grackles, those iridescent beauties.  They are part of the Starling family and by many, not considered to be an exciting siting.

I disagree! Their luminous feathers literally reflect sunlight, they gleam in the sunshine and as they move around (they are ground feeders) their colors shimmer as their shading goes from blue to purple to green.

Sapphire Blue

Purple Wings

Touches of Teal Blue

Aquamarine Throat

Nature’s Gradient Colors

All photos courtesy Murray Head

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