Posted by Frank S. on October 17, 2003 at 22:08:32:
Something I didn't expect to see today, especially in my garden! But its true. I have two small ponds I made out of cement years ago. Often birds come to drink from it. Today there was a pretty B.T. Blue flitting around the shrubs and water. A lovely sight but big deal!! At the same time there was what I thought a common grackle(they come around there too) drinking water. This is about 10-15 FT from the glass window. I got great looks for a long time. it looked like a miniature adult male B.T. Grackle (almost never in the garden)with a similar blue color, not like Common Grackle. Its tail was short and it flicked it up repeatedly. With such a sharp look I can see that when it blinked its eyes, the lids were dark and not conspicuous- on male Boat-Tails, they are a sharp light (seem bluish) color, which I always notice when I see them. Also the beak was not 'big and sharp' like Boat-tails, but kind of slender, not like B.H. cowbird either. A pretty, sleek and 'shiny' bird in the late afternoon sun. Oh, by the way, I don't live in Homestead, but a wooded neighborhood in Coconut Grove. Wow, what a surprise!