Fourteen days and counting

I'm almost certain the thrush is still here. Kelly Bryan came over and banded hummingbirds so I didn't sit and observe, but the grapes disappeared at the usual rate, about an average of one per hour in the morning. And I guess now that the bird seems to have its reserves replenished, not in the afternoon. We'll see. It probably arrived here very hungry and got meager sustenance from the local berries. So I imagine it took a few days of grapes before it could afford to go to being its normal secretive self. Good for the bird, not so good for observation. It never would eat cranberries though. If it plucked one by mistake, it tossed it on the ground. Go figure!

Kelly banded 4 juvenile male Anna's Hummingbirds. I had hoped for more. He thought he heard the thrush, and I thought I saw its silhouette being chased by the silhouette of a mockingbird. At least the mockingbird hasn't recognized the grapes as food..... YET!

A short visit by a Common Grackle. I never could tell them from the Great-tailed or Brewer's Blackbirds, so I'm determined to learn the difference. Hopefully, posting a picture of the grackle will help. Yes, Kelly ID'd it for me, or I wouldn't have known. I think I could eventually figure out the adult males. It's the females and juveniles that confuse me.

Also got to enjoy a visiting Golden Eagle for a while. Just wish I could get better photos of raptors in flight. But what a wingspan!

UPDATE: At 6 PM I gave up my sporadic watch to see the thrush. Then out of curiosity at 7 PM I went down to the oasis to see if any grapes were missing. Yup, 2 were gone. Little rascal! It does not want to be seen, that's for sure. It's not called secretive, a skulker, shy, and retiring for no reason, but this is extreme. I've got a strategy planned for tomorrow morning though.