We visited Dallas this past weekend to attend a wedding, and although we were busy helping to prepare, which precluded any birding expeditions, we did see (and hear) plenty of Great-tailed Grackles. While this wouldn't be a cause for celebration for most people, this was, for me, a life bird.
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This bird also has another important distinction for me. In March, Maureen was compelled to travel to Phoenix for business. Although she promised not to seek out any new species without me, she couldn't help but notice that the grackles she found everywhere were different from the Boat-tailed Grackles we have in Florida. For the past 7 months, this has been her one advantage over me in North America, but with this sighting I've evened us out, to my profound relief.
Worldwide, I'm still down an Asian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra), but that's a story for another time.
I'm kind of crazy about grackles, even though they are a pain in the neck. I lived in Dallas for a while (back home in NYC now), and was amazed by the Boat-tails that would gather in large flocks sounding like mechanical systems gone bad.
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