I have been watching for Evening Grosbeaks. They used to be almost pesky BITD, with hordes descending on the feeders and emptying them in an instant.
Then they vanished. Years would go by and we would not see a single one. Before yesterday it had been two years since we saw any and a long drought of them before that.
This year a big irruption, that is many birds flying south to find food because the cone and bud crops were poor in the far, far North, was predicted.
They did not lie. I have never seen or heard so many Red-breasted Nuthatches (not finches but similarly irruptive) as I have this year. The woods are full of them.
And the Pine Siskins are back. In some places they are back in tremendous numbers, as in thousands reported at Cape May. The most I have seen was a flock of maybe 90 in Maine. That was amazing enough for me, and now they are coming to the feeders pretty regularly.
Purple Finches actually nest in our spruce trees and bring the fledglings to the feeders before they disperse, but now there are a lot of non-local visitors as well.
Nevertheless, it was hard to see dozens of photos of EVGR on Facebook and not have them here. I really wanted some. Then yesterday the boss spoke to me as I was tying my shoes, "What are these?"
I had heard noisy finch calls from the feeder right in front of the kitchen windows, but I thought they were Pine Siskins. Nope. At least 25 EVGR, probably over 30, were racing in and out to gobble seeds. There are still a few around today.
I has a happy.
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7 comments:
I has a happy for you!
Aahahahaaha! I didn't know how to edit my comment and I'd written Pine " Sickens "!!!!
So.. I'd said: It's so incredible that you've got those wonderful birds . . . We've only had the Pine Siskins so far!
Denny, thanks, so many bad things this year, but the birds are still a lot of fun.
Cathy, lol, I did notice, but figured just a typo. I commit many of them. Hope you get some grosbeaks! Pretty exciting. Our place is a grown up wonder of weeds and messiness. Not pretty to the human eye, but the birds just love it. We are starting to have birders from other counties want to stop in and get some ticks for their life and county lists. A little embarrassing because of the weediness, but cool to see birds from our yard popping up on their lists. Take care, good friend!
YAY FOR BIRDS! Makes the day a lot brighter.
Lots of people in our area are seeing the Pine Grosbeaks at feeders for the first time ever this year. We have not been that lucky yet. Our Red-breasted Nuthatches have returned after a long absence however and we are enjoying them.
Linda, they keep me sane...or at least sane-ish...in these utterly insane times.
OW, wow, Pine Grosbeaks! I saw them a few times when I lived up in the Adirondack Foothills, but never since. I would love to see one! Love having the RB Nuthatches around. They are so cute and I delight in their calls.
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