weird bird intersection (mall, black, green)

[Lodestar 77]

The last few days there has been a slew of those big birds (grackles?) that fly off my roof when I go out on the patio. They make a loud noise with their wings when they all take off. I feel like I am in a remake of "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock!

[NWTX1293]

HEB @ DeZavala and I10 is another spot for this.. don't park anywhere near a tree after dusk!!

It is creepy when they are all swarming around to find their spot for the night

[The Black Irish]

This location used to have fake owls in the trees and speakers that would screech like an owl. Ya' know to keep the grackles away. This obviously failed since they are EVERYWHERE!

[Merovee]

Owl and hawk decoys have to be moved around or the other birds will catch on.

Basse and McCullough also has plenty of birds and there are no restaurants there just usually empty parks.

[69GSstage1]

I used to work out of Cavender Toyota/Audi at 410 and Bandera. Nothing but grackles in the dealer's lot as far the eye could see, especially in the mornings. The Make Ready Department really had their work cut out for them at times.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by jnmac

Does anyone know what's up with the massive amounts of birds at the Tezel/Culebra/Grissom intersection (right by HEB)? It's weird how many of them there are just hanging out and they don't go much further than just that intersection.

It's been like that for at least 30 years...

Never fails to amaze me what they look like sitting on the power/telephone wires and their noise....sheesh..

What I wish is once in a while HEB clean that bench that sits right underneath the tree...

Wonderful sight walking past that going into and back out from the store...

[The Black Irish]

I have been on the unfortunate end of those dadgum grackles! Got all over my arm and I almost puked! They are a nuisance for sure.

[Paka]

It is either the smell of the fast food joints in the immediate area, the food dropped and they are waiting to retrieve or the HEAT generated that draws them....but it is spooky for sure!!! Again, as bad as these other areas are...drive by 410 and Marbach if you REALLY want the BeGesus scared out of ya! (after dark, colder the better cavet!)

[SnappyBob]

Those Grackles are real scavengers. I was having lunch at Chachos a few years ago on their open patio. A guy across the room sat down at his table with a tray of food. He then got up to use the restroom and left his tray on the table. Within 30 seconds he had two Grackles eating off of his plate. Everybody just watched and snickered but when he got back we told him what had happened and to go and get another plate. They replaced his lunch. Never leave your lunch ungaurded on a restaurant patio. Those umbrellas on the Riverwalk ain't just for rain.

[SabresFanInSA]

Didnt HEB try to initiate something once (some kind of sonic thing) to deter the birds? It does seem worse at the Tezel/Grissom intersection than most places. Must be the proper combination of trees and fast food joints.

That intersection is only outdone by the Walmart on 410 next to SAMS. That parking lot is always crawling with pigeons. They're huge though. Might actually be chickens dressed as pigeons.