This is something we have never seen before. Hubby saw a bare tree in the water with 3 common grackles on it. One flew out over the water & hovered 2 ft over the water, then dove in. Just its head went in & it sat on the water like a duck for 4-5 secs, then flew back to tree with a smelt in its beak. One of the other grackles chased it away with the smelt. Shortly the 3rd grackle flew by with a smelt in its beak, Sorry no pics, Going back there again today if weather holds out. Is this normal for grackles?
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Is this normal for grackles (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter eiguoc
- Start date
nartreb
Speak softly and carry a long lens
I've not seen it myself, but this behavior has been known since at least 1912.
Here's a report from 1975:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v093n03/p0640-p0642.pdf
Here's a report from 1975:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v093n03/p0640-p0642.pdf
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Wannabe Ospreys! 3
Good pic KC. We went back to same spot, a flooded creek spilling into Lake Ontario,plenty of smelts about, but do you think one would dive down & grab some, nope, one had a bath instead. Missed the one with smelt in beak. Determined to get a pic of one like that We saw at least 10 flying about the creek entrance, , even chasing the gulls
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Good pic KC. We went back to same spot, a flooded creek spilling into Lake Ontario,plenty of smelts about, but do you think one would dive down & grab some, nope, one had a bath instead. Missed the one with smelt in beak. Determined to get a pic of one like that, We saw at least 10 flying about there by mouth of creek, even chasing the gulls
