Date: 10/27/26 8:54 am From: Chris Barrigar <00000aef7a4c9477-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Great tailed grackle observations
I've witnessed the same behavior in Northern Mockingbirds, plucking insects off the grills of cars and carrying the squished insects back to their nests to feed young.
Yellow-throated Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds gleaning insects from spider webs located between parking lot lights and support poles. One day while birding early spring at Lake Wappapello's Eagle Point overlook, there was a midge hatch, and I watched a YT Warbler gleaning midges off my truck.
Tufted Titmouse cracking open and eating snails at Otter Slough Conservation Area was another eye-opening experience.
Birds are awesome!
I've also had a most cool experience with a Daddy Long Legs (Harvestman) spider that lived under the hood of my truck. One morning as I came out to drive to work, I saw said Harvestman on the windshield, "harvesting" the bug splats from my travels. I think I was late for work that day as I couldn't bring myself to disturb its breakfast. LOL! I saw it several more times in like fashion after that, then disappeared with the progression of winter. Nature is opportunistic, indeed!
"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." JOHN MUIR
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From: Missouri Wild Bird Forum <MOBIRDS-L...> on behalf of Kirk Suedmeyer <00000537a8cbbe82-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 1:12 PM
To: <MOBIRDS-L...> <MOBIRDS-L...>
Subject: Great tailed grackle observations
While I was at conference in Oklahoma City last week, I watched two separate flocks of Great-tailed grackles, one in the parking lot at the conference center, and another loose-knit group at the zoo parking lot feeding on insects from the tire treads and undercarriage of parked cars. Each time a new car parked, several birds would fly and walk to the car and pick out insects and a couple times they also picked insects off fenders and grills. There were adults and fledglings. There was a line of trees most would fly into when significantly disturbed, and several with lost/shorter tails that I could see every day. Ingenious!
