This is the time where many people see these birds and wonder what the heck they are.

Well, this is a Brownheaded Cowbird, either a female or a young adult. Many people dislike them for their nesting habits (they lay eggs in other birds’ nests so that they raise their babies) but this is how they evolved. They used to follow cattle and never settled anywhere to nest. Now that humans are destroying habitat, not as many herds wander around, and the Cowbirds come to our backyards (it is of course more complex than that, but that is the gist). It is their survival strategy, and other birds have found ways to survive nevertheless. Cardinals for example have several broods, and usually only the first one seems to be affected. (This was recorded with a Birdsy camera.)