I think it's the first time I've ever seen one (much less 5-20).
A flock of mid-sized birds flew into the manzanita "shrubs" ('cause ours are like trees) just past the garden. On a lark, I grabbed my binocs and looked.
My, what a large beak you have.
So I looked up grosbeak. Specifically black-headed, as they are def. known from around here.
Nope. Missing the YELLOW eyebrow thingy that's too cool on these guys.
Look up evening grosbeak.
Why, yes. That is it exactly! Males and females.
According to the Cornell's bird lab's All About Birds:
Large and brightly colored, the Evening Grosbeak is a noticeable winter visitor to bird feeders during irruption years. When a flock settles down to feed, it can clean out a surprisingly large amount of sunflower seeds in a short time.
Then Bear tells me he's seen a flock here once before. And where they were yesterday is where he used to have a bird feeder. Wow. Do you suppose they remember? He thinks so.
Maybe we need to put one up there--hope we'll see them again...
Anyhow, SO GLAD I picked up my binos and had a look! Who KNOWS what cool birds are cruising around right outside your window.
That, and I got a good, fuzzy look at a very handsome gray squirrel looking, of course, impossibly cute and industrious. =)
=) bb
P.S. What's one of the most surprising or coolest wildlife sighting you've seen out your window?
Back in the Catheys Valley days I glanced out to see a very large hawk cooling its toes in the birdbath. The "regulars" were NOT happy about it one bit.
ReplyDeleteNice! I saw a lot of these guys this summer in Truckee. I like 'em! They remember the feeder - put it up put it up! :)
ReplyDeletehmm..out the window? Well, at my Texas field site, there'd be armadillos (I named them) and aoudads (not like they're native, it is texas afterall...) on this really big cliff and it would be like watching mt goats and stuff...that's kinda cool ...