Grackle Free Backyard

There were many cheers this week at the land of CaryBirdCam.  And that is because the last two "Starve-Out" sessions at the feeders seem to have worked.  Consumption of sunflower seed and suet has greatly slowed, and no grackles have been seen anywhere around.  But I have many more desirable visitors, such as goldfinches, bluebirds, cardinals and nuthatches.  I can highly recommend this tactic.  Basically, a starve-out involves taking down or emptying feeders for a week or two.  That's usually long enough to discourage grackles and cause them to move along.  I realize some other poor sap is now feeding grackles, but we all have to make small sacrifices.  And now I have a grackle free backyard -- for now.

Overwhelmed

I thought I had discouraged the grackles.  Or had I?  Within days of restoring my feeders, I found myself yesterday morning surrounded by the nasty birds.  There were dozens in surrounding trees.  Was this a marauding wave tipped off by the family group I had supposedly run off?  or was it a random assault by a roving band?  Suffice to say I took the feeders down immediately and hoped for the best.  Two days later they have not been seen, but I must wait out any spies and sentries.  It's going to be a tougher wait this time as so many "bird bikers" know our coordinates.  I feel overwhelmed!  Ack!

Mission Accomplished

A couple of weeks ago I reached my tolerance point with a group of voracious Grackles.  The remedy?  let the feeders empty and refuse to refill.  I decided two days ago that enough time had gone by and that the grackles might have moved on to new victims.  It looks like that was the right call!  The feeders are being worked on but much more slowly, and there is no sign of grackles at all.  Now to enjoy more pleasant bird doings!  I hope I don't have to do a second starve-out this summer...

Shutdown!

Had enough yet?  This phase seemed to be coming from the pesky black birds themselves.  For most of a week I have seen grackles at every feeder.  They are aggressively dominating and gorging themselves.  What they didn't count on is that I have, in fact, had enough.  And I have shut down those feeders for as long as it takes to discourage this "bird bikers."  They descended on me and ruined the climate and I am perfectly happy to invite them to move along.  But how long will it take?  a week? two? more?  I am prepared to wait.  Let's see if these obnoxious birds can wait me out!

New Strategy is Indicated

This is a time of year when suet is in high demand.  It is also a time of year when we're most likely to see Common Grackles at the feeders.  And grackles love suet.  This is a bad formula.  And it means suet is disappearing.  Not just to voracious woodpeckers and catbirds, but also to the grackles.  I believe I need to improve my odds.  I am thinking of replacing one of the cakes with an upside down suet feeder which should resist all but the gymnastic birds.  The woodpeckers can get in, but the grackles will have a tough time.  Will this work?  It was a dubious experiment last year.  But I need to try again.

Bad is Back

It seems that there are two unpleasant events in springtime here.  One being the elevated risk for tornadoes.  The other: a family group of Common Grackles assaults the suet feeders.  It's spring, and they're back.  This bunch helped clean out the feeders at mid month and I am none too thrilled about their aggressive gluttony.  Happily I have ways to defeat them if they get too out of line.  One is a suet feeder that's rigged to defeat big birds and the other that can only be used by "hangers".  Past history suggests this lot of louts will not vex me much beyond spring, so perhaps I can get through this episode with minimal irritation.  But I am watching...and ready.

Even More Trouble

What's worse than one grackle? why, two! and what's worse than that? more!  And in that spirit I find myself beholding more grackles at the suet feeder.  This is not something I have seen in a long time and it isn't making me feel warm and fuzzy.  These darn grackles can strip a feeder bare and make life difficult for the smaller birds.  So far at least I don't seem to have a swarm of these bird bikers, but the season is closing and food choices are slowly drying up.  Perhaps this family group will move along, but I am on alert for trouble.

Back in Black

Oh swell.  Those words formed in my mind on Labor Day as I beheld the sight of Common Grackles assaulting the southeast suet feeder.  At least there were a few of them.  But these birds are, well, usually a pain in the rear end.  Oh swell.  More encounters with "bird bikers".  Rapidly diminishing suet.  And bad attitudes.  All the things you want from back yard birds.  I suspect they have been around for some days because the suet cakes started shrinking noticeably, and yet no migrants had checked in.  Will we have grackles for awhile?  I sure hope not! We shall see. 

Grackle Update

Talk about luck!  Some bird feeders and watchers are bedeviled by Common Grackles, and we have had encounters that looked ominous in recent years.  But fortune truly favors the foolish and I am apparently safe for another season.  The family group we spotted over the spring and summer doesn't seem to have faded back a good bit.  Suet consumption is way down---and these jokers were serious suet killers! nor do I see them virtually every time I look out the window.  No complaints here!  I appreciate the grackles sticking to a low-pest strategy.  Everyone's happier that way!

Young Trouble

Seems the annoying Grackle pair had a fledge.  The BirdCam photo was a bit rough, but it shows me enough to know a young Common Grackle is afoot.  And Lord only knows if this wonderful piece of Creation will be deeply impressed on its mischievous brain.  I may have grackles for a long time!  It's one of those little infelicities that comes with luring so many birds to our feeders.   For right now I am simply hoping this young "punk" is the only jewel of the grackle family! 

Thwarting Grackles

Every bird feeder confronts occasional pests.  Obviously this includes our friends the squirrels but also birds like Blue Jays, Common Grackles, and Red Winged Blackbirds.  All of them have vexed me from time to time.  This month I have been forced to match wits with a pair of grackles.  They've taken a shine to the suet feeders and with their prodigious appetites can clean out a cake in no time.  I've decided to fight back with my squirrel-proof cages.  Two of the suet feeders are shielded from the pests and the small birds can still get in.  Many have experience with these cages already.  Unfortunately the blue birds and catbirds are locked out right now but I've left one suet feeder cage-free to see what happens.  At least two cakes will be off limits to the grackles!  We shall see if this strategy helps at all.

Birds in Black

I suppose that I should have expected it.  Last year I entertained, as the term might be, at least one Common Grackle.  The bird seemed well mannered and not too greedy.  And I comforted myself that despite the horror stories out there, my lone grackle would fit nicely into the backyard cafe culture.  That was then.  Now there is a complete family group, and they are much more dominating.  They're devouring large masses of suet, hogging bird baths when they stop there, and making their presence felt at all three feeder stations.  What they may be earning is a summer shutdown of feeders.  I will not encourage a mob.  I've been through this with squirrels.  And I am not going to let grackles upset the harmonious balance.  So I'm monitoring.  And I think that Bastille Day will mark my own liberation movement...no more easy access suet.  What about it, grackles?

Putting Patience to the Test

It's bad enough that the Gray Catbirds are all-you-can-eat diners at the suet feeders, but our grackle family seems to be in on the same act.  Suet cakes are vanishing pretty quickly now: if one lasts two days I am amazed.  And thanks to BirdCam I can ascertain that the catbirds and grackles are the greediest takers.  Fortunately I am well supplied and know the consumption patterns now and can sit back knowing May and June are the last of the crazy months.  But after that I may shut things down and make these little piggies work harder for their meals!  This will be interesting...

An Interesting Pair of Youngsters

Here's an interesting photo, at least for me, taken on my hike at Howell Woods Environmental Center on Monday.  While passing along an edge habitat (between second growth pine and a mowed field) I encountered this pair of young Common Grackles.  I haven't ever seen this species at this very early level of development.  The Grackle "mob" was ensconced in the second growth and was making a heck of a racket--and avoiding me.  I'm assuming these are fledglings who haven't quite gotten the hang of powered flight.  They were not very alarmed at my presence, even if the adult birds were.  That said, I dedicated only a few minutes to photographs and study, and was on my way.  There's no need to upset things more.  Another exciting juvenile moment for me!

Back in Black

Part of the fun of the coming summer is speculating about what new wonders may present themselves.  Surely we will see the catbirds? perhaps an oriole (ha!), or a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher?  And then reality rears its less-than-pretty head and we get...Grackles.  Common Grackles.  Not a bird high on anyone's favored feeder guest list.  Yes, indeed, we have grackles here again.  Happily, in past years we see very few grackles and they seem pretty well mannered---taking some, but hardly all suet.  And I am coming to peace with them.  Heck, I don't even chase them away.  We do have to reward good behavior.  Which I wish they'd teach the squirrels.