I realize this is technically off topic but I posted a question about birding in Texas and got some helpful suggestions. Although it turned out that I didn't find any of the suggested birds, much less the vaulted Green Jay, I did find some very interesting birds. My favorite was the first bird I found, which wasn't that difficult. Great Tailed Grackles are common as houseflies and probably considered a nuisance bird there because they are so aggressive. But they are very comical and make a hillarious call that sounds like child's kazoo-whistle in that it is three notes that rapidly ascend in pitch. They also "growl" by vibrating their wings. There were also their smaller cousins called "Boat Tailed" Grackles which look alike but are smaller without the distinctive whistle. My next favorite was the "Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher". It was positively beautiful with a sky blue head and chest with a red rump and a tail that was easily twice as long as its body. I also saw Grey Jays, hoards of Mocking birds, a group of Semipalminated Plovers, a Western King Bird, Curved Bill Thrashers, Black Chinned and Ruby Throated Hummingbirds, Turkey Vultures, Black Vulters and-----a Scrub Jay, an awesomely blue bird that reminded me of an indigo bunting in color. I also saw a pair of birds I can't identify or find in my iBird or Audubon apps. They were the color of Mourning Doves except for olive colored wings AND they were the size of turkey vultures. Both were in a tree on the golf course and I got a great look at them before they flew off with wing cadence similar to a heron. Any ideas? Les Chambers ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]