Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Public Flocking: Dead and Alive

I almost had a Tippi Hedren moment this afternoon. Hundreds of grackles landed in our trees and at the bird feeders during a respite from the freezing rain and sleet. They cackled and cawed and pigged out on the seed for awhile. J thought they might be a sign of spring(?)

This flock was alive. Thankfully, this was a much better experience than what the folks around my old haunt in Griggstown had this past weekend when dead European Starlings were found scattered all over yards, cars, roads, and roofs. It was neither a Hitchcock nor X-Files thing, but rather a purposeful poisoning. A local farmer benefited from the culling work done by his chemical allies in the USDA.

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