I & The Bird #35 and some random notes

Dan from Migrations is the host for the 35th edition of I & The Bird! Great job, Dan!

I had a new yard bird on Tuesday - 2 Hermit Thrushes! I happened to look outside to see if anything had discovered our new feeders yet (nothing has) and saw a Hermit Thrush munching berries on a Yew bush right next to the porch! His/her comrade was perched on the wooden fence that separates our house from the people behind us. I saw a Swainson's Thrush on this same fence in the spring. Robins like it too. It's now officially the "Thrush Fence".

Also, yesterday morning I came outside to the racket of 100's of Common Grackles. They love to travel in huge, nomadic flocks this time of year. Upon seeing me, they took off into the sky. The loud smacks of droppings hitting the rooves of the buildings around our complex sent me scurrying for cover. I wasn't hit, thank goodness. The Grackles perched in neat rows on top of the buildings across from ours as I headed off to work.

I stopped home for lunch yesterday and at least one Hermit Thrush was still around!