These distinctly marked Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus, alpha banding code RBGR) started showing up somewhere around early 2009. JUST happened to look out the window in time to catch five males eating sunflower seeds on the front walkway one day. At the time I didn't know what they were and actually only saw all five backsides. Had no clue that year of the phenomenal red coloring on their chests.
The one pictured in the images here apparently has been in the yard a good solid week. He's a strangely relaxed little guy in spite of his flyoffs upon my presence. I kept seeing flashes of a white rump and white under the tail as he was exiting Stage Left when I'd poke my head out the window to check on bird feeders. Have seen two now (two days ago). This is THE ABSOLUTE lateness and longest repeated sightings in Spring they've been in my Pickens County yard yet. Every year the pishing gets better and better out there..! :))
Had a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak startle me this morning (Wednesday, 2012.04.25, ~8:00am). First spotted her as just a "lump" of brown sitting on one of the suet feeders.
ReplyDeleteShe was "frazzled" looking. It was cool out, but I'm hoping the "extra" frazzle I saw had something more to do with nesting. The yard here sits JUST outside the bottom cusp I've seen for their summer range.. WOOHOO :)
we had two in our feeders this morning been here all day I had to look it up to see what species because I have ever seen one I am in north georgia
ReplyDeleteTwo males were at my backyard feeder around April 23 for just over a week.They were gorgeous! I live in Conyers, Georgia.
ReplyDeleteSaw one this morning don't know if female or male only I can tell IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!
ReplyDelete*waving* to you all. Thank you for the comments. My apologies, but there has been a mix of things why I haven't been able to get back on this page for quite a while.
ReplyDelete.
Congratulations for having them in your yards! A male showed back up here in Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, 3 days ago (2017.04.19). I got to video him this morning, up close and personal in that same Willow Tree. :)
.
@ Anonymous, if you're able to match yours to the bright colors of the one here, it's a boy! The females are "BBJ", big brown jobs with nothing bright so that they don't draw attention when they're on their nests. Even the first year males that are still baby brown like their mothers will start to get some of that red showing on their chest there.
.
Even when you can't see them, sometimes they're right there nearby. Their telltale sounds like high pitched, squeaky sneezes. That's them checking things out before coming down to our feeders.
.Those sneezes were my first sign they were already back the other day. They come in very quiet and secretive. In the few days they're here before moving on, they take over and end up in a few noisy feeder territory "squabbles" with the other birds, especially with the Cardinals. :)
.
Thank you again and congratulations on your own visitors!