#479 Greater Antillean Grackle

Black bird with yellow eye

Greater Antillean Grackle (Quiscalus niger brachypterus)

Got this one before we even left the airport. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera gear unpacked yet and in the rush to set up I neglected to change the aperture from f/16 (good for bugs, bad for birds), so it’s a pretty crappy picture. No worries. I’ll get much better shots of this bird later. They’re everywhere around here.

I think this is the second life bird I’ve gotten at an active airport. The first was the Burrowing Owl at San Jose Mineta a few years ago.

There was also a huge green iguana in the Hertz parking lot, but it ran under a car before I could get a shot of it. Haven’t seen another of those yet.

I had a likely Pearly-eyed Thrasher pair at dinner too, but I didn’t have my binoculars or field guide or camera with me. Should find it again tomorrow.

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