Date: 11/7/25 4:49 pm From: Daniel Farrar via groups.io <jdanielfarrar...> Subject: Re: [sbcobirding] Common Grackle back
Thanks for posting this Wim! I checked for the Common Grackle 3x today and
finally had it this afternoon when I met up with James Rounds out there.
There were a lot of birds when I got there around 3:30, maybe 1000+ in
stark contrast to earlier ~10AM when there were only a few hundred (and
the cows were penned up with workers around). Around 1:30 there were maybe
500 birds and the cows were out. This afternoon most of the birds were in
the corral (the cows were grazing to the east), but eventually the flock
flew west over to the trough at which point (to my surprise) the grackle
hopped up onto the trough and gave James and I good looks next to
Cowbirds, RW and Tricolored Blackbirds. I was not quick enough to
get a photo as quite frankly I did not have high hopes after my two
previous visits and did not have the camera ready. After a minute or so the
flock flew back to the corrals and we lost track of the bird and could not
relocate it. Around 4 the flock began dispersing and flying North towards
Ocean Park and the pastures on base. Last year there were 3 YH Blackbirds
here and I would sometimes find them in the pastures on base, so I suspect
the grackle is doing the same thing. One thing I will mention is that I
have not been able to pick the bird out when it's on the ground. I know Wes
did, so it's possible, but more challenging than you would think. It is a
larger bird but not that much larger (not like a Great-tailed) so when it
is mixed in it is very difficult. So don't give up on it and if the flock
goes to the west side near the trough, it really likes to hop up there.
This is where I saw it today and Wednesday.
Good luck all and good birding,
Daniel Farrar
Lompoc, CA
<jdanielfarrar...>
On Fri, Nov 7, 2025, 3:46 PM Wim van Dam via groups.io <wim.van.dam=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> [Friday 15:42]: Daniel Farrar reports on Slack that the Common Grackle is
> back.
>
> --
> Wim van Dam (Solvang, CA)
> SBCO #409: Common Grackle*
>
>
>
