[Birdtalk] Backyard birds

[cldavis at xmission.com]

There has been a young Sharp-shinned Hawk terrorizing my feeders for a 
few days in Taylorsville.  My yard normally sounds like an aviary but 
the last two days it has been dead. I found a pile of Red-winged 
Blackbird feathers that looked like the bird had swallowed a bomb and, 
when it went off, all that remained were a circular pile of feathers. 
Earlier I saw the Sharp-shinned finishing off breakfast on the ground 
by my feeders but it was nowhere near the pile of feathers.  I guess it 
didn't want to eat in the same place it prepared its meal.

A few of the Common Grackles are still here and I hate to see them 
migrate after watching them all go from fledglings to 
beautifully-attired adults.  They are interesting to watch when they 
are young.  The males have an attitude and rip dead leaves or branches 
off my lilac to show how tough they are.  Both male and female are 
fastidious about the birdbath.  They clean out the leaves if there are 
any floating around in the water. They are always trying to figure out 
how things work--pecking at nuts or bolts or trying to dismantle the 
birdbath. They are at the top of the pecking order but are not 
obnoxious about it. The Magpies don't visit much with the Grackles 
around but it could be the combination of the Red-wings and the 
Grackles that discourages the Magpies. I'm already looking forward to 
Spring when they return and start the new families.

Carol