Catching the Grackle's Gaze (with a new lens)

I got a new camera lens that zooms in closer from farther away than my old one. The new one is a Canon EF-S 55-250 mm F4-5.6 is STM.

This photo of a great-tailed grackle in my backyard is one of the first photos I shot with the new lens. I didn't realize until post that the bird was staring back at me.