Early this morning the sun was bright (finally) and glinted off the Common Grackles at the feeders. Lots of grackles now. I may not have glamorous birds but they certainly are shiny. The top grackle looked like it thought it was King of the World. For all I know, maybe it is. The grackles on the ground were shiny too. I like to have the grackles here because they eat defoliating caterpillars (other birds do too) - flying pesticides. ----------------------------------------------------- I've been having an argument with a chickadee, or maybe several chickadees. Their "dee-dee-dee" call supposedly warns against predators, with the number of "dee's" corresponding to the level of danger. Yesterday and today I heard a "dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee" call when I went out to fill the feeders. I find this enormously insulting since I'm feeding the little brutes, so I'm trying to call back a short "dee-dee" every time I hear the long "dee" call. It seems to be working, or maybe they're just amused, because the string of "dees" is getting shorter. Claire (who really needs some spring)

The eagle is probably a 2 year old. I year olds are completely brown, 2 year olds are often mottled, 3 year olds have a dirty white head with a dark line through the eye and a white tail, and 4+ year old birds have the white head and tail. T.R. Michels TMIchels@yahoo.com

Those action shots are great! Thank you so much for posting those. I've never seen a Tundra Swan or a Northern Pintail before. That must have been so fun to see all these waterfowl.

Misty, if you've never seen it, check out the PBS video, A Murder of Crows. It's about the intelligence of blackbirds, and it's pretty amazing! I've seen it on TV a couple times. http://video.pbs.org/video/1621910826/ I’m not a big fan of blackbirds! It’s not because I don’t like them “as birds,” it’s because they EAT all the seed I put out for the “little birds,” and I can’t afford to feed the BIG birds! I’ve developed a Blackbird Dispersal System so I can scare them away without hurting them, but they are VERY smart, and they keep coming back several times each time they show up—until they realize that the “scarer” is going to “appear” every time they come—and then they—all of them, at the feeders AND in the trees—go away and usually don’t come back for a day or two—to try again! There have been some VERY cool “animal” shows on PBS lately! The “animal homes” series that’s on right now is amazing! Also linked on that page. And if you click “see all” there are many more possibilities, including Leave it to Beavers, which was just on (TV) last week, and it’s absolutely incredible to see in such detail “what they do” and HOW they do it—and how good, and necessary, they are for the environment! If you have time, I highly recommend it! (Full episodes of “animal homes” are available on the “see all” page!) Easy enough to link things now, so here IS the “see all” page!!! http://video.pbs.org/program/nature/episodes/ Gotta go! P.S. Zach, I never managed to get back here to post, but I LOVE all the pics you posted. Thanks for posting them. I didn’t have a “very successful” bird count this year! Very few birds, and not much besides the normal “regulars” I have. Definitely no “murder” of robins this year! Misty I love your “icicle bluebird pic!” Feel very sorry for the bluebird—but love the pic! P.P.S. Since I already have WebAlbums up, here’s a pic (not very close up!) of a Golden Eagle on the Ute Mountain Tribal Park last spring! This is the only Golden I’ve ever seen! https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lKmHq6gaCDC_S3BtFXaMIQPPcO__tq0XI6jlKd1A8Lg?feat=directlink