Nature is cool

[___cernunnos___]

So, just watched a grackle trying to convince his two half-grown chicks (who were waddling after here in the back yard) to try to fly. At first I thought the grackle was pestering two birds who were building a ground nest, but later confirmed via GIS that they were babies. I assume that was dad too, since according to Wikipedia the males are black (they get mistaken for crows, though they have shiny, blue/purple-tinged feathers while a crows is matte black) and the moms are kind of a reddish brown.

Also, we have some kind of wharbler which has taken up residence in the hedge behind our deck. It actually sings to you if you are standing on the deck, and will mimic your whistles if you talk to it for a few minutes.