Only a Mother Could Love…..

This juvenile Common Grackle seemed to have yet learned the art of flying away from a human when I encountered him. He clung to the branch of the Eastern Red Cedar / Juniper tree with what appeared to be no care in the world, letting me snap photos of him as he preened his new feathers.

I had to do a bit of research to discover that chicks in the blackbird family often lack feathers around their eyes when they are quite young. I thought perhaps he had a skin condition like mites. But, I was assured from the “experts” that the missing feathers are common.

One day he will sport the most iridescent of colors in his feathers and shine in the sun like a rainbow even while appearing black.

Right now, he’s so ugly he’s adorable.