Rose Brested Grosbeak

Unclegreenthumb, I did a watercolor of one of your birds. I hope you don't mind.
Here is the watercolor and a link to the artisans forum here at DG http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/699152/

Awesome job on the watercolor Calalily. This is a very beautiful bird. I've never seen any of them in our area. Thanks for sharing your painting Calalily and thanks to Dave for sharing your bird.

Janet

It's beautiful Calalily;,,,,

Thanks for sharing, and no problem at all using any of my photo's for your art work,,,,,

Looking forward to seeing more.....

Thanks;,,

....Dave

Thanks guys! If I do more, I'll post them so you can see.
Dave, you take great photos.

I've been adding alot of black oil sunflower seeds lately to my feeders in hopes that they will come and stay awhile once they spot them when they are passing through. ;-))

This year I have 2 square hanging platform feeders to entice them. ;-))

I also have a 'house' feeder that I add the seeds on.

Marilyn

Calalilly, lovely painting!!!!

Dave,

Just wanted to let you know that we're seeing the male and female here the last couple of days (not at the same time). We haven't gotten any pics, we're so excited when we see them! I'm so sad that they don't stay in the area for the Summer. :-( They should be heading up your way soon.

Can you get some pics of them and when they have the babies?!

Marilyn

I saw one today. First time ---Loves the sunflower seeds that I have out. I have been watching that beautiful bird all day. Sure do wish he'd hang around------Beth

I hadn't seen any yet and was worried, but I guess they are still on their way. Can't wait to see and hear these guys again.

Beautiful watercolor and photos!

First time to see the Grosbeaks in our yard yesterday. We had four males visit the feeders last evening.

I'm sad to learn they won't stay in our area for breeding, but maybe we can give them a map to your place!

They are a beautiful addition to the backyard bird watching. Now if we can ID some females. And learn to take a bird photo!

We always have lots of sunflower seeds out every day, year round and during Spring and Fall migrations, we have even lots more sunflower seeds out daily! We just love the Grosbeaks!

Marilyn

Hello Marilyn and everyone;,,

The Grosbeaks started arriving here Friday the 27th... So far I've had three males and one female at the feeders at the same time.... In another week most of them should be back , and it's a common sight to see eight or ten at a time at the feeders..... I've been busy boxing and shipping plants for a month now and haven't touched my camera.....When things slow down I'll get some pics for everyone.....

The hummers will be here Tuesday.... I can set my clock by them....May 1st every year.... Putting the feeders out tomorrow...... The greenhouse is full of blooming plants waiting on the little jokers..... Plenty of alstroemeria, honeysuckle, and hibiscus......

....Dave

It's good to see your font Dave. I was just wondering if anyone had heard from you recently.

Looking forward to more wildlife from your neck of the woods from YOUR perspective. :-)

Janet

Dave,

A hawk got one of our grosbeaks this morning. Sob.

BUT, we did spy our first hummingbird at our feeder today! Yay!

Our coral honeysuckle is blooming. And the red-buckeyes.

I had the pleasure of have the grosbecks stay in my yard for a full week. The last time I saw one was about 4 or 5 years ago but only up in the trees. This year they came in a group of about 6. We see the males most of the time then we saw the females right before they decided to leave. They perch on the feeders and feed for about 10 minutes at a time. They are so pretty and make a lovely sound that you would expect from a smaller bird.

Dave, thank you so much for posting this beautiful photo. I have had a "mystery bird" at my feeders for about two weeks now, and had never seen it here in southern Tennessee before. I logged on to the site hoping to find this bird, and lo and behold! Here is my mystery bird! And a beautiful photo, as well. I am loving these new visitors to my feeders and have snapped a photo (posted here).

Very nice pic suzy!!!

Yes, a lovely pic!!! :)

I saw the first one this year yesterday. I have been watching the progress north and spotted this guy, of course he had to turn his back to the camera.

Oh I'm so jealous lol! I am so enjoying all of your photos.

Hi suzykat - welcome to the bird watching forum! I live in the very north eastern tip of Tn. in Kingsport. Where is Minor Hill? Are you in the eastern part or the western part - Tn is such a long state. It takes as long to drivve to the western part for us as it does to drive up to the mountains of Pa. to see our relatives!

Hello, everyone! Thank you for the very nice welcome. Minor Hill is in the very southern center of TN, below Nashville and kissing cousins with Alabama, it's that close.
As a Louisiana native, where we had an abundance of native and migratory birds, I've been surprised to find an even greater diversity here, or at least it seems that way to me. I'm in heaven here, between the birds, deer, and wild turkeys (we spotted a flock of 40-something not long ago--see photo). I'm just thrilled to have found this forum, with such friendly folks and beautiful photos.

Oh wow - those look like wild turkeys! It sounds like you have a residence right next to paradise!

Suzy, welcome and how fun to hear about your part of the country! Great photos, btw. And I'm still jealous that I don't get that Grosbeak around here!

Hi - not new to DG but new to the birding forum - have been enjoying everyone's pics and info. My dh and I went to High Island, Texas, on April 29 to watch migrants. I spotted a female rose breasted gross beak on a mulberry tree - a new bird for me. She was really hungry. I looked for a male but never saw one. So be watching for a few more up north - they are still headed your way! Awesome pics Dave!

Suzy;,

That picture you took with all the turkeys is absolutely beautiful...Love the setting....

...Dave

Thanks bookworm;..

I believe I'm up to about 15 grosbeaks now as more keep arriving....

Hope you get to spot those males soon.....


....Dave

Me too - I imagine the males migrate early like most birds do, so I'll probably have to wait until next year's migration. Do you see the males first? That's neat you have so many of them!

I have been admiring all photos of these pretty birds and wishing I could see one and don't you know it this morning out at our feeder there were a male & female both feeding!!

We moved here in January and have lots of woods around us, so lots of wild life around. I have started a list of birds I have identified so far and am up too 22 so far!!

I wish I would have seen your post before I posted mine. Wow, such a gorgeous bird!! I've only been in this house for 2 1/2 years and this is the first time I've seen one. It seems I have everything else under the sun, but the Rose Brested Grosbeak certainly caught my attention today. Such a beautiful bird, and very patient for the feeder!!

Nanny and lily - I've been birding fairly consistently (though still a rank beginner!) for 10 months. I've noticed a phenomenon that you talked about - when I really want to see a bird, and read about it in my books, it seems like I will find it! I guess that's an "awareness" kind of thing, but it really amazes me. I've always wanted to see a cedar waxwing, and since I've been watching for them, I have now seen about 300 of them! It also happened with the bald eagle - we have a pair that live north of Houston on a lake that borders a national forest. After I knew they were there, it took about 4 months to see the first one. Since then, I've seen 4 more different ones! The four recent ones were probably migrating up your way like the grosbeaks! Enjoy them!

We live at Heritage Lake, and have a pair of Bald Eagles that nest here. Driving around last night by the my husband spotted one of our eagles! He turned around so I might see it, but by then it was gone!

This morning I believe we had an Indigo Bunting or a Blue Grosbeak (not sure yet) and a Red Headed Woodpecker and a White Crowned Sparrow!! We are in the summer breeding ranges for these birds!! It's been a very good morning here!!

I spotted an Golden Eagle a couple monthes ago. I believe it was migrating since I have not seen it since. Very cool!!

This message was edited May 7, 2007 10:28 AM

So glad this thread is here. Hubby does not remember
ever seeing one, but shared his excitement to see one
last week here in Northeastern Oklahoma.

The bird was sitting on the feeder having a buffet, but
was trying to fight off the other birds coming to the feeder.

Very nice bird!

DANG IT!
My Aunt was telling me last night about a new bird that showed up at her feeder in Missouri (she always brags about birds I don't have here) and was describing what she thought was a downey woodpecker except it had red on its breast. I got to thinking that a rose-breasted grosbeak was prob. what she means. Now I don't know whether to tell her or not!
When we both got hummingbirds three weeks ago today and I called to tell her, she actually wanted to know WHAT TIME I'd seen mine because she wanted to be the one to have seen one first!

Nice pictures of the Rose Brested Grosbeak. Before last Friday 5/11/07, I had never seen a grosbeak near my home in Waukee, Iowa. Since Friday, I have had as many as 3 males and a female on my feeder at one time. I had never seen an Indigo Bunting in my yard either. Three hours ago I took a picture of a gosbeak and bunting in a small crab apple tree in my back yard. Are these birds migrating through Iowa, or do they nest here?

I had never seen a RBG either until I put out a feeder a few years back. Was it that I was never looking? I think there are many things we miss in life until we slow down and look a little.
One day DH and I were on the deck. There is much activity going on in the marsh and we were reading. I said that we should put down our books and just look a while. You should have seen the things we saw. Eagles, swans, deer with fawns, mink, blue heron etc. all this was going on without us even seeing. There is so much in life we miss.

What a fabulous area you live in, cpartschick!!!

Your area is not so bad either. I have seen the pictures.