I don't notice redpolls around here in the summer, they must go further north with the snow buntings. I was wondering though when the Whiskey Jacks start nesting, because they're one of the first fledglings out in the spring. I thought it might be why they were out and about and maybe came to the feeder to look for suitors? We've started calving now and every year I note in my records when the crows and then the geese show up. Last year crows showed up on March 9th and the first geese on March 23rd. They seem to send out scouts first then the bigger flocks show up a bit later. But I think I saw crows a few days ago and it wouldn't surprise me becasue of the mild spell we had in February, but I always second guess myself this time of year between crows and ravens :( Gil, " Build it and they will come" . It took a couple seasons way out where I am to get the birds coming regularly, but its amazing how fast they figure it out once a few have started. I remember the panic I felt when a bird would show up to check out the feeder and it would be empty! I'd drop everything and run out and fill it hoping I didn't totally freak them out! I'm a hopeless birder :)

Congrats on those photos! Claire, I'm thinking the male looks a bit juvenile still...he's got brown spots on his top back. The mature one we had at our feeder didn't have any speckling like that on his black part. The underbelly didn't have any speckling either. I found this cool link when I was searching out the bird...it shows juvenile & mature descriptions with pics. Here is a link that might be useful: rose breasted grossbeaks

WOW!! What an incredible variety of birds you have-and you know the locations of their nests, and keeping track of owl and hawk babies! I hope your friends and family pony up and help you purchase one of those high powered scope cameras that are supposed to come out this year. That way you can post amazing photos of intimate birds life without disturbing them. With my 400mm lens I have to get within a few yards of a bird to get a decent shot. As for people noticing wildlife, it must be experiential as well as cultural. If people have been exposed to birdwatching through their family, or through having bird feeders they might notice birds.Or not. My kids certainly heard all about it, but could care less. Since locals do their birding through a rifle scope they mostly notice game birds. In Mexico, people don't even SEE wildlife because animals don't matter there. Three foot iguanas can stroll around and nobody even glances at them. If I ask people the name of a bird, they don't know what I mean. In Haiti, most wild animals, including insects are "bete."

Hmmm, I hate to say that I don't think so. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a stouter and paler bill; as thick as this bird's bill is, it just isn't convincing for a RBGR. A female RBGR has a very bold head pattern (but not a dark malar stripe, as this bird has) and also has white wing bars (this bird does not). This bird is pretty rufous in color; too much so for a RBGR. With all of that said, along with that long straight tail, I cannot rule out Song Sparrow here.