The Merlin Bird ID app says this is likely a Boat-tailed Grackle, despite the short tail.
I saw a couple of them that had odd looking tails on a walk around an old rice field dike and wondered if they were juveniles. Turns out juveniles are brown.
And the yellow eye is variable in both Common and Boat-tailed Grackles.
Whichever it was, this one had climbing on his mind.
Well, it’s rather a harsh song, and can grate on your nerves if you are sharing space with them near a boat launch. That’s where I spotted this pair, the male trying really hard to impress the female.
When they are in the shade the grackle’s blue iridescent feathers don’t show off much but they make a nice silhouette.
The male’s efforts didn’t seem to be making enough impression.
Hmm, I can ignore you, too!
