Grackles Command the Backyard

The grackle is one of the larger birds that I see frequenting my backyard. They do not tend to go to the feeder thankfully as I imagine that they would make quite a mess. They will, however, peck in the grass and on occasion eat the jujube fruit dropped by the sparrows. As I explained in an earlier post, the sparrows seem playful and happy in their fruit feast. The grackles however become very territorial and if they find a fruit that they claim as their own, they will continue picking it up and flying here and there until they feel they are safe from thieves and then very quickly eat.

I will admit that the grackle was one of my most disliked birds in Arizona until my daughter began pointing out all the interesting things about this bird. My dislike stemmed from a large ficus tree that we had in the backyard of a former home. The grackles would nest in the tree in the evening and would make so much noise that I would need to close the door while having dinner just to hold a conversation. They would sleep in the tree all night and come daybreak, they would start making noise in a cacophony of early morning noise. If you have ever heard a large cluster of these blackbirds, you will know what I mean about just noise. They don't sing, they are not in unison, they just make a sharp and loud noise in varying pitches over and over.

While the females are brown in color the males are sleek and have iridescent feathers though look black from a distance. I have even come to appreciate a single grackle singing to me from one of my trees. One of the cool things about this bird is their little ritual of attracting a mate. The males will put the beaks as high in the air as they can and puff themselves up. There might be three males putting on a show with one or two females pecking away in the grass getting further and further away from the boys. A few times, I have seen a male circling a female with chest puffed while flapping and flexing his wings trying to be noticed. You can't help but feel slightly sorry for the chap when she glances up and then flies away. Very rarely have I seen a male successfully lure the female's interest but we have plenty of grackles in our neighborhood so clearly there are those who are successful.

Personalize your world with one of the hundreds of products offered on Zazzle. The below banner contains an affiliate link.

I have developed an appreciation for these large birds and enjoy watching them compete for attention and gather their food. The real treat however is enjoying the babies chirping and demanding to be fed while their mother races around my yard to provide some food and gain some silence from her hungry offspring.

Comments

Uses For Jujubes - Red Dates

Uses For Jujubes - Red Dates Last week, I talked about the hungry sparrows feasting among my jujube trees. Apparently many have not heard of a jujube or red date before and are curious what to do with them besides just eating them from the tree. Just to recap in case you have not read my previous post, when mostly yellowish in color they taste a little like a dry apple. They get sweeter as they turn a reddish color and as they turn completely red and start to wrinkle slightly, they are closer to a raisin or a date. No matter how you eat them, don't forget that there is a pit in the center. I find that cutting them close to the pit around each side is the easiest way to rid the fruit of the pit. The Varied Uses of Jujubes The light green to yellow jujubes are easily shredded and used any time apples are called for. I have used them in breads, muffins, and mixed with pear or apples for a fruit crisp when shredded right from the tree. ...

Winter Birds and the Peace of Nature

Most people who love nature have their favorite haunts around their home. A place to escape for an hour or two close to home perhaps for a relaxing walk or to regain a few moments of peace. Recent events have strengthened the pull of nature for me so I carved out a few hours one morning last week for a little time with some friends. I have a few favorite locations around my home. I tried my local riparian preserve but so many people had the same idea as I did that it was rather full and the paths were packed with people. Not exactly my idea of gaining peace in nature so I quickly moved on. There is a man-made lake not far from the preserve and I decided to head there. To my delight, it was almost deserted and for most of my visit, I found myself alone with the birds. As I talked about in another post, about the winter birds returning and I was pleased to see a few birds that I have not seen all summer. The egrets were back in force...

Thorns, Needles, and Spikes Thrive in Arizona

When most people think of Arizona they tend to think of desert and cactus. Southwestern cactus bring to mind long needles and plants that can be admired but steered clear of. While we do have a huge variety of cacti in our state, cacti are not the only plants to use needles, thorns, or spikes to protect themselves. Barrel Cactus Pillow Available in Our Store by southwestcreations So why does a cactus plant have needles? The obvious answer is to protect themselves but why do they need so much protection. Cacti are made up of a huge amount of water. The mighty saguaro for example can be caused to topple from too much water. A cactus will soak up water and store it allowing it to get through our long periods of drought. Animals seek out water and so a quick meal on a cactus pad can provide needed water for animals. While the needles keep away some animals, there are others that are very adapted to life in the deser...

AZ Nature In Focus

Search This Blog