The grackles are near

Grackles in Quakertown, NJ (photo by Marty Campanelli, borrowed from the Hunterdon County Democrat)
 
I have an unexplainable fondness for grackles. The massive flocks that came by my yard last fall didn't show this year. A smaller flock made a brief appearance in September, but no real "megaflocks" despite plenty of "waste" corn in the fields. And so far only a fraction of the snow geese of last year too - only fly-overs. It could be the weirdly warm winter keeping most of them farther north. Regardless it feels like something's lacking. No ridiculously huge flocks to make my backyard feel exciting. But wait...

Thanks to the avian desk at the Hunterdon County Democrat I know that there is a massive flock, 30,000-50,000 strong, just 20 miles south of me in Quakertown, NJ. I'll be keeping my eye out.

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2012/01/massive_flock_of_birds_has_bee.html

First grackle megaflock

Mixed flock of blackbirds in late fall last year (2010), post-corn-harvest. This year's corn is still green.

I hereby record that the first megaflock* of common grackles this year arrived at my Warren County home in the pre-dusk hours of September 4th. They squeaked and creaked and occupied every ash, hickory, and sycamore branch along a half-kilometer stretch of the Musconetcong River. Then they departed, flying west-ish in the typical (and typically impressive) never-ending-river-of-birds. It would be fascinating to have a map of the wanderings of these bird-herds. Maybe ebird has this in their power?

They apparently wander this way all winter, and farther north than NJ, too. Here is a photo of another megaflock feeding on my lawn when I lived in Orange County, NY (taken December 2009).

Megaflock of grackles in Goshen, Orange County, NY, December 2009.

*I made up the word, but it fits...