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Birds Sing Their Hearts Out Near Charleston Rd. Starbucks

Can you help identify the species? Have you noticed them before? Help Patch understand these visitors to Mountain View!

It's not often that an editor gets a phone call about birds.

But that's what happened when Maria Marroquin, executive director of the Day Worker Center, called me on Friday, Jan. 11.

I roughly remember the conversation going something like this:

"Claudia," she said. "I'm at the shopping center on Charleston Road and I hear a chorus of birds. It's marvelous."

I asked her to shoot some video and send email it. I got it later on that day.

This Wednesday, Jan. 23, I stopped by the Starbucks in the same shopping center. I didn't notice the birds on the way in—perhaps they hadn't gathered yet—but on my way out, I was hit by the concerto or cacophony, depending on your musical tastes.

However, like Maria, I stopped to take it in. There were so many birds perched on electrical wires, on the transformer and atop of the Startbucks. This definitely merited taking some video. But what are they doing here? I didn't remember them from prior visits to the Starbucks.

Now, I hope that an ornithologist or an avid bird watcher can help us figure out who these little visitors are and what they are singing about.

Is it mating season already? Is love in the air?

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

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Trudy January 26, 2013 at 03:46 pm
My bet is it's the red-winged blackbird. Only the males have red wings and they're not always visible....
Trudy January 26, 2013 at 03:52 pm
Info from National Geographic Bird App which includes bird calls: The male Red-winged Blackbird fiercely defends his territory during the breeding season. He may spend more than a quarter of all the daylight hours in territory defense. He vigorously keeps all other males out of the territory and defends the nests from predators. He will attack hawks and much larger animals, including horses and people. When singing to defend the territory or to attract a female the male fluffs the red epaulettes and half-spreads his wings to show off the red to the full extent.
tommy whirple January 27, 2013 at 12:13 am
I can't fully express how moved I am by this story.
randy albin January 27, 2013 at 06:08 pm
there needs to be more availability at the stevenson senior apartments nearby. why not look at birds out at shoreline or foothills park? how this mentioning would make it onto patch is worth pondering about
Claudia Cruz (Editor) January 28, 2013 at 09:56 am
Hi Randy, I think it was the sheer number of singing birds that caught our attention. Especially, like you said, they aren't at Shoreline Park where most of the birds gather.
Claudia Cruz (Editor) January 28, 2013 at 09:57 am
I couldn't really see the wings. If I'm in the area again I'll focus more on the appearance of the bird and less on their singing!
Claudia Cruz (Editor) January 28, 2013 at 09:59 am
I'll ask around. Are red-winged Blackbirds native to the area? Are they known to migrate here?

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Very cool!
Jeanne Sanders May 29, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Hi Claudia; what is this business and where ???
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