Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks Are Back 'Home'

Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
by Grandma Pearl

A Banner Week For Returning Songbirds!

I knew he was nearby when I heard the distinctive 'squeaky door' sound that these grosbeaks make.  Then I heard the marvelous liquid robin-like song, and instantly thought "my grosbeaks are back home"!
The females are not here just yet, but I'm sure they will be along any day now.  Like the ruby-throated hummingbirds, the males always arrive about a week ahead of the females.

Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Eyeing the Buffet
by Grandma Pearl

You can tell these birds are seed eaters from the heavy beak.  It is well-adapted for crushing seeds.  At the feeder my grosbeaks enjoy the mixture I have made that includes sunflower seeds, various nuts, berries, cherries and other fruits and pumpkins seeds.  That mixture also attracts Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Goldfinches and Purple Finches among others.
When the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak males take flight, you can see the distinctive white wing patch.  It is a gorgeous bird, and you know, I think he knows he is handsome!
I'm glad they made it back safely from their winter home in South America to spend the summer with me.

Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak working on a sunflower seed
by Grandma Pearl

 Did you know that these grosbeaks are very fond of potato beetles?  They also love all kinds of other insects and eat tons of them in a season, along with weed seeds and lots of wild fruits.  Here you can see the contrasting white back and the pure white underparts of this grosbeak.

Male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak showing back and underparts
by Grandma Pearl

Bobolinks Remembered

We lived on a rural road about 3 miles from the nearest small town, so my days and nights were filled with the sounds of nature.  One that I remember most clearly is the bobolinks that lived in the nearby marsh. Their bubbly, energetic songs emanated from all corners of that boggy area.  To see them you were reminded a little of the red wing blackbirds that also took up residence there.  Their sizes were similar, but the distinctive yellowish nape of the male bobolink set them apart; that and their amazing vocalizations.  

They are mixed in my memory with the swamp sparrows, quail, pheasants, turkeys, red wings, mockingbirds, orioles, and a whole host of songbirds that enjoyed snapping up mosquitoes and a myriad of other insects, dining on wild blackberries, crab apples and weed seeds galore.  It was a feast for my ears and a banquet for the birds!
Grandma Pearl

Male and Female Bobolinks

photo from audubon.org

Female Bobolink

photo from westboroughlandtrust.org