The calls would maybe tell the tale, as to ID on the black birds. Grackles have a high, squeaky call, a lot like fingernails across the blackboard and they can be very loud and annoying at times.
Crows, even louder but a very distinctive "caw", much lower pitched.
That being said, my grackles have a white ring around their eyes that I don't see in Melanie's shots.
