Blackbird awakening
David Cooper - Chief Photographer
EDITOR'S NOTE: We differ to the knowledge of all the birders out there. We now believe they are Grackles!
It starts sometime after 4:30am.
A constant squawking, clucking noise.
"Blackbirds singing in the dead of night" the Paul McCartney song comes to mind‚ but it sure doesn't resemble singing IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.
Every morning for the last few days constant squawking literally outside our bedroom window. (they sit on the eavestrough above our open window as I later discovered).
Blackbirds, a pair of them looking after a fledgling sitting in our Lilac tree. I even saw one of them catch a bug in mid air then fly over near the lilac and of course squawk for a while before feeding the baby bird.
The parents don't seem to be alarmed at me being in the yard. As you can see they fed the fledge several times as I watched with my 70-200mm lens from at most 10 metres.
Midday seems to be siesta time so the noise is now less constant throttled back to occasional.
I shot most of this with the 70-200mm zoom (my go to midrange lens), with spot focus and auto exposure in RAW mode. I finally gave in at got my 300mm but by then it was sleepy time. the tight shots of just the baby in the shade at made with it.
The blackbird holds breakfast for its fledgling.
The blackbird runs across the eaves over the bedroom.
The blackbird carries a little fluff.
Blackbirds, a pair of them looking after a fledgling sitting in our Lilac tree.
Blackbirds, a pair of them looking after a fledgling sitting in our Lilac tree. They sit on our eaves over near the lilac and of course squawk for a while before feeding the baby bird.
The fledgling looking for a meal.
The fledgling sitting in our Lilac tree scores a meal.
The Fledging dozes in the shade of midday. It seems to be siesta time so the noise is now less constant, throttled back to occasional.
What superb photographs!
Posted by: Carol | 06/11/2011 at 12:07 PM
I think these are actually Grackles..but beautiful pictures fer sure!
Posted by: Jeff Hale | 06/11/2011 at 05:09 PM
I believe this is a Common Grackle.
Posted by: Laura Cooper | 06/11/2011 at 06:01 PM
Common Grackles are really beautiful birds. Nice photos!
Posted by: Molly | 06/11/2011 at 07:17 PM
Excellent photographs, David!
I'm loving all of the beautiful shots of wildlife being displayed in the Star's gallery.
Posted by: Stephanie | 06/11/2011 at 07:19 PM
Those are Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula; http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_grackle/id ), not blackbirds. Beautiful photos!
Posted by: Bob | 06/11/2011 at 07:47 PM
rotten Grackles. We've seen them take babies from other nests and fly over the pool and drop them in. This has happened several times.
Posted by: Linda Blair | 06/11/2011 at 08:23 PM
These are lovely photos, but given your'e in southern Ontario it's unlikely a blackbirds (Brewer's Blackbird would be most likely). I'm pretty sure your photos show the Common Grackle. See the ROM field guide for photo and call sound: http://www.rom.on.ca/ontario/fieldguides.php?distribution=35&taxon=3&doc_type=fieldguide&page_no=5
Posted by: Jessica Ross | 06/11/2011 at 09:24 PM
Great photos. (Those are Grackles, by the way. Yes, quite loud and gregarious - rather bossy birds).
Posted by: Frog | 06/11/2011 at 09:56 PM
I think these are actually grackles.
Posted by: Karl Anderson | 06/11/2011 at 10:03 PM
Beautiful shots ... particularly that last one of the fledgling. Thanks !
Posted by: Nick Cave | 06/11/2011 at 10:06 PM