My Christmas Bird Count team for our annual Lonoke County CBC always stops at the McDonald's in Lonoke for a food and bathroom break before going into my CBC territory. My territory has no options for bathroom facilities other than the bushes. My 2023 CBC team did our usual first stop at the Lonoke McDonald's. While sitting in the car waiting on the last of my team, I noticed Eurasian Collared-Doves on the wires. I stared an eBird checklist to record them even though that wasn't my CBC territory. Next we spotted Great-tailed Grackles strutting around the parking lot. A surprise because that was the first time I've seen them in all the years I've been doing the Lonoke CBC. I added them to my McDonald's eBird checklist. Because McDonald’s isn't in my CBC territory, I finally remembered to notify Kevin Krajcir about the sighting a few weeks after the count. He was our CBC compiler. I then sent him my eBird checklist. He was excited to report that the GTGR's were a first for the Lonoke Christmas Bird Count! Since then I've seen periodic reports of birders seeing the Grackles at the Lonoke McDonalds. Obviously the grackles have discovered yet another source of their favorite junk food and are taking full advantage of scavenging for those "tasty" McDonald's french fries. Karen Holliday Maumelle
