A Grackle Convention

This seemingly calm photo had a very Halloween quality to it midday yesterday. It, like all the trees south of our house were at once set up by a convention of Common Grackles---at least dozens of them, and probably more. What a chill went down my spine! I had visions of bird bikers descending on my feeders and cleaning them out. Sinister black locusts from the underworld... At last, some time in the afternoon the storm passed. No Grackles. What happened? I briefly hosted a fall travelling group. Perhaps migrating to some favored fall location. And this winter it was not my feeder cafe! Let's hope that stays the case.