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goldfinches, juncos and whitethroated sparrows — not to mention chickadees or titmice — for several hours.
What to do? I can’t give myself the kind of comfort I have dealt out to the many who have complained to me about grackles: the flocks will disperse as the grackles move out to find suitable nesting areas. I know where these grackles will nest: in the great old trees densely covered with English ivy just north of this property, of this property. Grackles also find the tangles of honeysuckle beyond, our back yard very much to their liking. It suits them just fine as a place to build their deep nests.
Grackles are quick to know they are not wanted at the feeder. A peck on the window sends them flying. But they come right back, descend to the feeder and the ground under it and quickly consume all the seed.
Lee and I have come to enjoy our flock of perhaps 15 goldfinches. They alight on the feeder in one’s and two’s until it is covered with them. I have concluded that 10 little birds can feed peacefully together; when more than that crowd on the feeder, squabbles break out. Cardinals, juncos, and white throated sparrows feed among the goldfinches causing no difficulty. At these times the feeder is a busy place and a delight to watch. This is, until the grackles arrived.
From past observations and reading, I know that grackles, like all blackbirds, are grain eaters and prefer cracked corn. I would manage the grackles. A trip to the Farmers Co-op was made and a 10 pound bag of cracked corn was purchased. This I spread on a five foot square of cement covering an old well in the side yard, this is about 15 feet from the platform feeder. Lee keeps her flower pots and plants
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