What is that Bird

We were sitting at the table when we noticed a black bird with a splotch of white on his back.  It was backlit by the sun so we weren't at all sure what it was.  I grabbed a quick photograph through the door.  Looking through the lens I realized we had just seen our first migrating Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  There was no mistaking that bill.

I went outside to watch the woods hoping the bird or one of his friends might come back.

 My reward came rather quickly.  Another lovely grosbeak wearing his best summer plumage.  These birds occasionally nest in the highest NC mountains, but for us they are merely traveling through our area during Spring and Fall Migration.  While they are lovely at all seasons, nothing compares to the bright rosy chests they sport during the Spring.  Their backs are a speckled black and white; the heads are black; and their front bodies purest white.

 He stared directly at me

 Then he looked away as he prepared to fly

The males will stay around for a week or so and then will be joined by the less colorful but still beautiful females.  After a few days the males will continue their journeys leaving the females behind again.  The females will leave after a week or so and we will not see any of them again until the Fall migration.

I had a lovely blogging break and took many day trips all over western NC with our mountain loving daughter.  The weather was perfect except for one rainy day.  That is expected to change for the worse tonight as we prepare for some severe storms.

Our thoughts go out to those in eastern NC affected by last Friday's severe weather and to those in Oklahoma and Arkansas over the weekend.  And to those in pain all over our planet.

It WAS the Bird I thought.

The bird I saw last week was exactly what I thought it was.  The first Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the fall migration.  These birds do not nest here, so we see them only during migration.  The males always arrive first.  After a week or so, the females arrive and the males stay around a few more days.  Then the males leave and the females remain a week or two longer.  Then it's over for the season.

While he is a beautiful bird, his fall plumage is not quite as striking as his spring color.

One of the birds came to the feeder.  At first I thought it might be a female.

But when he flew into the trees I saw the faint reddish coloring on his chest.

Another male has joined the group.

He is waiting for me to go inside so he can fly to the feeders.

What a beauty!

The fall migration is such a wonderful time of the year.  We will enjoy these grosbeaks for a few weeks and then we will look forward to our next migrating friends.

Not So Great Photos of Interesting Birds

Sometimes the lighting is perfect. Sometimes the birds are clear of obstructing leaves and branches. Sometimes the sun is shining. But sometimes you see and photograph the best of birds under the worst of camera conditions. And so it is with this post.

I finally got a glimpse of the migrating Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The males will soon be followed by the females. Their winter coats are not as glamorous as their spring garb, but they are beautiful and welcome nonetheless.

This little chickadee looks amazed at the new bird at the feeder.

He does look pretty large sitting there stuffing himself.

And I saw a most uncooperative little bird. He gave me two quick looks and then flitted away. I was happy to see him anyway. Black-throated Blue Warblers are rare in our area.

He turned his back on me and you can see his hallmark "pocket handkerchief."

Except for his size, it would be hard to identify this little bird.

When he turns, it is even more obvious that he is a hummingbird. We still have a few of them around, but it won't be for long.

I couldn't let the post go without some mention of the game that kept me up past midnight on Monday and sent me to bed angry.

I'm always one to give credit where it is due. And Brett Favre played like the Brett Favre I used to watch years ago. He was so outstanding that everyone stood in awe to watch as he made one bullet pass completion after another.

(Photo from the Associated Press)

As a matter of fact, the Packer defense acted like the other observers and they also stood to watch in awe to watch. I've never seen ANY quarterback have more time in the pocket before having to release the football! Sometimes it seemed as if he were practicing since no one bothered to rush him. As for the Packer offensive line...they are going to let Aaron Rodgers get killed or seriously injured. He was sacked EIGHT TIMES during the game. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback, but he cannot throw the ball when he's knocked down almost every play. I don't think I've agonized over a football game since I was in high school and that, dear reader, was a LONG time ago.

---------------If I sound a bit bitter about Brett Favre, it's because I am. His adolescent behavior did a great deal of damage to the Packer team and to their fans. He acted like a spoiled brat. His waffling created a major distraction to the team and to Aaron Rodgers, already installed as the quarterback. Rather than play as backup and work his way back into the starting position, Brett decided to take his marbles and go home, or in this case to New York. So don't tell me about his enthusiasm and his love for the game. Don't tell me he plays like a much younger man...he acts like one as well. Much younger, as in 18 years old.

---------------I'm not the only one who feels this way about Favre. The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel did an Online poll after Monday night's game. The following question was asked, "So now do you think the Packers did the right thing when they parted ways with Brett Favre?" Nearly 24,000 people responded and 66% of them answered "yes."

---------------Of course, we will all sing the praises of Brett Favre when the Packers retire his green #4 jersey. And we all hope he will enter the NFL Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer. And we will honor the tremendous player that he has been over the years. But we will still remember his childish behavior and the damage he did to our team and its fans.

Handsome Visitors

I saw him Friday morning. Just a brief glimpse through the trees. Could it be? Are they back for a brief visit? A few hours later, I saw him again. This time there was no doubt. The male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are passing through on their migration.

These birds do not live here in summer or winter. We see them only during spring and fall migrations and we love every minute they are here. What lovely birds.

The males always arrive first, followed in a week or two by the females. Both sexes remain for several days and then the males move on. Shortly thereafter, the females take off and we have no more until the next migration.


Here is my first real sighting:



He came to one of the feeders for a snack.

He stretches his neck to eat from the second tier opening.

Last fall, the males looked like this. They had their winter plumage by the time they passed by our house. In the spring photographs above, you will note they are more pristine, with clean white chests and the hallmark bright rosey triangles on their breasts.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks will remain with us for only a few weeks. Their arrival is much anticipated at our house and we envy those of you who see these birds all summer.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I caught a glimpse of her on Thursday. You would think I would be delighted to see her. She was a magnificent specimen. While appreciating her beauty, my first thought was, "No, not yet. I'm not ready." Perhaps I was wrong. After all, I didn't get a really good look. Perhaps it was an immature male.

I saw her again on Friday and there was no mistaking her identity. She was perfect in size, her white eyebrow shining in the sun, her pale bill so obvious. She was gorgeous. Our first female Red-breasted Grosbeak had indeed arrived. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise. After all, I spotted the first male on September 24.




She came to one of the feeders for a nice meal. Such a beauty.

So, why was I viewing this bird with such mixed feelings? Because the arrival of the females signals the departure of the males. When I saw her, I knew I would have only a few days to see this bird:

Or this one:

Just as we do every fall, we have so enjoyed seeing the bright (and not so bright) males. We are very fortunate that they seem to love our woods and interrupt their long journey to take a little respite here. In a few days, the males will be gone, but we will have more and more females to join our early arrival. We will love them as well, and lament their decision to travel on.

And with the spring will come the even more brilliant males. We already look forward to seeing them.

And the Bird Is...

Kudos to everyone who took a guess, and a few bananas to the chimp on the unicycle. Here is the same bird as he moved further up the pole. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Had you seen this picture first, the identification would have been easy.

When I was a child, I used to get frustrated because the birds I saw didn't always look like the birds in my bird guide. I expected the birds to get in line and pose exactly they way they were in my book. Only larger reference guides can show a lot of different poses, and hardly anyone shows the birds from the back. I learned quickly that I would have to really study some birds from different angles in order to identify them.

--------Typically, when the grosbeaks migrate through our area, all the hummingbirds are gone. This year however, we have three of them lingering. It was 38 degrees when I snapped this little hummer, all puffed up and looking rather cold. While I'm always glad to see them, I wonder if I am encouraging them to stay. Should I simply remove the feeders so they will move on? I would welcome any advice.

We are delighted to have so many beautiful grosbeaks here for a while. Soon the females will join them and all too quickly they will be gone. We will miss them. But they will return in the spring, more colorful and brighter than ever.

Welcome, Visitors

I had seen him in the trees for a couple of days. He didn't have the brilliant plumage of the adults, but he sat with confidence. I mistook him for a female at first, even though no other females had arrived. Finally, I saw him in the sun and he showed me his reddish breast and black wing feathers. I wonder if the others call him "girly-man" since the other juveniles have more distinct areas of red.

Welcome to our woods, Master Rose-breasted Grosbeak. We have enjoyed the journeys of your grandparents and great-grandparents and we are delighted to welcome the new generation.

We always look forward to the fall migration, especially the return of the grosbeaks. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks do not winter or summer here and we have but a few brief weeks to enjoy them in the spring and the fall. They are so beautiful and have such a distinctive song that even I can recognize it.

-----We now have several males, both adults and juveniles, visiting our feeders. The females will join them soon and we will drink in their beauty for a short while. Then all of them will take off to parts unknown.

So, it's a rather quick "Hail, and Farewell" to our little friends. We do enjoy your visits.