Whirlwind of Grackles

For a moment I thought I was in Hitchcock's The Birds, or some Hollywood Halloween B movie.  First there was this din, a loud racket of birds chattering that drowned out the sound of the t.v.  Then the swooping began and in the living room window I caught sight of hundreds of birds all falling to the ground on the front lawn.

I thought they looked like starlings or bronze headed cowbirds, but no, they were the common grackles but in larger numbers in one group than I had ever witnessed before.  I could not get a good panoramic view for you but there must have been several hundred or more in this flock.  I understand they, like many birds at this time of year, are swarming preparing for the trip south.  Within minutes, they were all gone, every last one.  I worried they might hang around with the feeder there full and the bird bath which they immediately discovered and took turns using, but no, within mere minutes off they flew like they were caught up in a pure whirlwind.  A Halloween sight for sure.