As the birds return and the year around birds shed their dull winter coat, the bird sunflower feeders show a rainbow of colors. The Goldfinch summer’s bright yellow feather pop next to the brilliant blue of the Indigo Bunting. And the red patch standout among the white and black of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Rainbow Colors at the Feeder
Among the blues, yellows and orange colors of birds, a black and white bird may not command much notice until the Rose-breasted Grosbeak displays its front.
A Rosy Front
More signs of spring arrived the last two days as more birds returned like the wrens, swallows, orioles, grosbeaks and the little hummingbirds. Rose-breasted grosbeak males actually sit on the eggs for a few hours during the day but the female does most of the egg incubating.
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Another of the spring bird arrived today, as the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks males have been spotted in the trees and feeders. And at least the males do help the females in the nest building and he takes a turn incubating the eggs for a few hours during the day, although the female has the remaining incubation time.
Returning Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I saw three baby orioles trying to land on the feeders this evening and they weren’t very successful with their uncoordinated flying. Baby grosbeaks are rather noisy with their cries as they wait for the adults to bring them lunch.
A Crying Grosbeak
This showy black and white bird, with the bright red chevron, sings to attract a females, even though he rebuffs her for several days before he lets her be his mate. But at least he does help build the nest, which takes about a week, and the male Rose-breasted Grosbeak also shares in the incubation, brooding, and feeding duties at the nest.
Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Many of the baby birds have left the nest, even the second batches, but some of the young still want their meals delivered by their parents like this young Rose-breasted Grosbeak, who was crying in the tree limb trying to get some attention.
Young Grosbeak
The male black and white bird with the brilliant red chevron extending from the black throat down the middle of the breast is a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Females, like many species, are more plain in their brown streaked body. Their large triangular bills make it easy for them to crack sunflower seeds (as you can see in the video), but at least they drop the shells outside the feeder tray. They also eat insects and fruit, especially during their migration to Central and South American, which they would be doing now as I haven’t seen any grosbeaks for several days. Apparently they heard that meteorological summer ends on Monday and they left in a hurry.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Between the finches, orioles, hummingbirds, grosbeak and all the other birds, I am having trouble keeping all the feeders filled. And the Rose-breasted Grosbeak sure chows down a lot of seeds if even if they are supposed to eat insects.
The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak takes a turn incubating the eggs for several hours during the day, while the female incubates the rest of the day and all night long. Both sexes sing quietly to each other when they exchange places. The male sometimes sings his normal song at full volume from inside the flimsy nest where the eggs are often visible from below through the nest bottom..
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
