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Where We Left Off:
For the first time, the Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency documented a tree spirit (Dryad) preparing to leave its tree.
WARNING: This post contains images of a dead (not gory) bird.
The Harder They Fall:
Some changes to the landscape have Guster perplexed. He’s watched as The Grumpy Old Man took over his favorite stakeout location at the corner of the Moretti rock wall fortress. Gus used to sit next to the sundial and wait to see if chipmunks, birds, or moles showed up. Now, there’s a water spigot and a reel for a garden hose. It’s a little decorative, but Golly! It was one of the detective’s favorite places to sit!
Since this change, Gus has adapted and taken over Oliver’s patio while Ollie stays up above on the balcony to supervise. In a way, this is a better spot. We can stand on slabs of slate instead of wet grass. If things are dry, there are chairs and I can actually sit to rest instead of destroying my knees by squatting. There are herbs, vegetables, and flowers all around in the narrow bed of soil at the top of the rock wall enclosure. I also hung a wire basket with overturned ceramic plates on a shepherd hook to create a make-shift bird feeder for the small birds. They’ve been loving it—until Gus started spending time over there in the patio. The tiny birds don’t even tolerate me standing close to them and I’m the one that feeds them.
Who Killed the Blue Jay?
On the morning of July 26, 2023, Gus and his human were called over to Gnome Grove by Gnomez Addams. He said he received a shocking report of a body in the grove. Gnome Chomsky was the one who discovered the body and reported it.
We didn’t have any identification of who this bird was. The report said the subject was identified as a male blue jay presumably in great health and physique.
Someone either took a physically fit jaybird by surprise or managed a covert murder that the victim didn’t even suspect.
“We need a name to track down who knew this victim,” I said to Gus and the gnomes on duty.
Gus looked around the around where the body lay. “I don’t see any blood. Why isn’t there any blood? The jays have been having bloody fights lately. Just dripping in blood, if ya know what I mean.”
Ewww. Yes, I knew what he meant.
It was time to assemble the investigators and go over our top suspects, the grackles.
A Plague of Grackles:
If you don’t know, the word “blackbird” has no specific meaning. There are many birds that can be called blackbirds including the red-winged blackbirds, grackles, meadowlarks, even orioles. The general word “blackbird” is divided into Old World and New World like most bird species. For the “New” World (isn’t it kind of insulting we still say that?), the family is the Icterids.
The only way I can tell a starling from a grackle is when I can see the speckled feather pattern of the starlings. What really makes things challenging when Gus and I are roaming and taking notes, is that Merlin Sound ID (part of the Merlin app) identifies European Starlings in the area, but I’m seeing Common Grackles. Yet, the app is how I learned they are not the same bird!
Grackles have a reputation of being a bird of annoyance. I’ve read several blog posts about people not liking them. Humans call them noisy and think the beautiful shiny birds are a nuisance. They do not poop as inconveniently as Canada geese! It’s also been said that grackles will chase away other birds that humans are trying to lure to their yards for enjoyment. Well, what are you gonna do? They’re birds. You put out birdseed, you don’t really get to pick and choose who visits which is why you’ll also attract squirrels, deer, and bears.
Personally, we love to watch the grackles. Gus and Oliver have enjoyed watching them from the observation platform. I love taking their photos even if the pictures are never in focus because of their remarkable sheen and iridescent coloring of black, brown, blue, purple, and green. They’re gorgeous! The adults also have piercing yellow eyes that stand out in a striking contrast.
A Band of Jays:
We have spent a lot of time observing our local blue jays and consider them a well-organized gang. That is, until it appeared that two rival gangs were on the same turf. Though they may collectively be called a party, a band, or a scold; we refer to these locals as The Bluejay Gang and have written extensively about them. In fact, Louie Eggs appears in the first comic book issue from The Winchester-Nabu Detective Agency.
These jays are part of the Corvid family like crows and ravens! Pretty wild since they look nothing alike. Yet, they aren’t related to the grackles and they do look alike.
The jaybirds and I have developed a relationship. Now, I’m not one to get a bird to perch on my hand but a small sparrow or wren or something landed on my head for less than a second once thinking I was not a moving object. The blue jays see me and they come to the closest tree. I throw them peanuts and watch as they decide which peanut is worth diving for. Often, two will aim for the same peanut and feathers will be tussled. If I haven’t thrown any peanuts, there are certain individual blue jays who will call out to me and do a little dance (something I’ve seen domesticated parrots do). If I have peanuts left but haven’t had any of them come over, I hold a peanut in my fingers, raise my arm, and shake it. I have no idea if they can hear a peanut rattle, but it usually works to bring one or two over. The grackles have no interest in peanut training.
As we’ve previously investigated, the blue jays have faced attacks leaving them covered in blood like messy vampires. Blood stains them from the bridge of their beaks and all the way down their white front. I’ve seen robin pairs go after them. Catbirds have chased them too, but the smaller catbird usually handles things without so much violence.
Fighting for Territory:
Now that the grackles have discovered the bountiful buffets of the Winchester-Nabu property, they come around more this year than previous years. Fortunately for the Bluejay Gang, they are less afraid of me. If I stand close enough to a tree to throw peanuts, the grackles will take off and look for one of the other birdseed snack bars like the garden wall.
Madam Mooney is the leader of the Grackle Party. There are only around twenty birds allowed to be proper members of her gang. Others are associates or acquaintances who tag along, but don’t work for her directly.
Oliver, Gus, and I reviewed the photographs of the grackles and blue jays. There weren’t any visible signs on the grackles that they’d been in close-combat fighting. Could that be simply because their feathers are dark colors? The robins haven’t shown any signs either, but they stay at even greater distances than the grackles unless they have a nest near a place Gus and I spend time. Only then do they perch for longer periods where we can get photos of them.
I’ve also witnessed blue jays work as a roving gang and chase off a much larger bird, a red-tailed hawk who was minding its own damn business at the top of a tree. I don’t know why the jays decided to attack. It certainly wasn’t over food resources. I don’t know if they nest that high either, but it must have been close enough to set the jays into aggressive offensive maneuvers. If you look through YouTube videos, there are plenty of examples of blue jays going after smaller and larger birds.
None of the images in my internet search showed the devastating blood apron that our Bluejay Gang wears like biker colors. Do we have particularly blood-thirsty birds?
Oliver and Gus discussed whether or not we should try to intervene when we see the birds fighting. The consensus was no. A firm NO. Neither of the cats want to get wounded and require veterinary treatment. They hate that guy even though he’s incredibly sweet. Oliver is a lover not a fighter—for the most part anyway. In his youth, he would jump at the glass door when birds nested in a wreath, but those days are far in the past. He enjoys watching the birds.
Is a Truce Possible?
Gus is obviously more murder-y than Ollie. He gets a little deflated when a target dies and won’t “play” anymore. I’ve only witnessed Gus jump at a blue jay one time and that was at the snack bar at the corner of the Moretti rock fortress.
“What if,” Oliver began, “what if we intervened, but in a different way? A diplomatic way?”
“What are suggesting?” Gus answered.
Oliver dunked his paw into a water fountain and took a moment to lick his drink from his fur. “What if we were able to get Louie Eggs and Madam Mooney together for a peace treaty negotiation?”
“I’d say you’re crazy,” Gus said. “Louie Eggs Consalvo is picky about who he befriends and makes deals with. Don’t you remember how he treated Fat Lou?”
I didn’t remember any Fat Lou from our neighborhood.
“Nobody’s supposed to remember Fat Lou,” Gus said, “and that’s the point. He disappeared or rather, was disappeared by somebody.”
I pointed out that we haven’t been able to get close to the grackles to even begin asking about Madam Mooney. The detectives were not deterred. They said we should continue trying to welcome the grackles just enough to get an introduction to Mooney and eventually ask if her party will move on in the fall.
Case Findings:
The Bluejay Gang and The Grackle Party have begun feuding over the territory and food resources provided by the Winchester-Nabu estate. Oliver proposed setting up a meeting between the leaders, Louie Eggs and Madam Mooney. Ultimately, we agreed to continue with the status quo and if we find a way into the grackles social circle, we’ll ask about meeting Mooney if that opportunity presents itself.
The next day, the body of the blue jay was GONE!
In the meantime, we still have to identify the victim and find the killer!
Case Status: Open