Grackles

This is how most people see Grackles: Loud, obnoxious with an in-your-face attitude.

They are quite aggressive with each other even when there is plenty to eat. It’s fun to watch them and see how expressive they are.

I love these birds. They are funny, clever, cunning hunters, and quite pretty if you look closely.

I stumbled upon a pair of them on my dog walk and waited to see what they would do. First, they had a good, long drink. Then, they bathed.

They always look a little annoyed, even when they take a bath.

The dogs and I watched them quietly and patiently, so first the one bathed, then the other — until a jogger showed up from the other direction and scared them off.

Then Mr. and Mrs. Grackle moved into the tree next door to us and I had the opportunity to watch them feed their young. That’s when I realized that their palate goes far beyond worms, insects, and left-over cereal someone spilled in a store parking lot.

First, there was a frog.

Then, an anole. Both were carefully divided into bite-sized pieces, lined up in the parent’s beak, and taken to the chicks who chirped excitedly.

Well-deserved rest after a job well done!