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The Kitchen Table

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks!

16 years ago

They were three weeks late from last year's arrival, but two beautiful male Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks showed up at the cedar feeder this evening.

It was a great day here, even if it was rainy and cold and windy.

Still no Northern Orioles or Humming Birds. They are over three weeks late. I have the nectar feeders out for them. They finches and woodpeckers are enjoying the sugar rush.

The cedar feeder photo with two RBG and a Goldfinch is from last year. You can almost see one of the "rosy" chests! I took some photos tonight, but it was too dark and cloudy when they came in.

I have several styles of feeders, but I offer only Black Oil Sunflower Seed in each of them. It's the favorite food of the largest numbers of native song birds. It's high in protein and fats. The shells are thin and there's very little waste since they don't dig through all the heavy "filler" seeds to get to the good stuff (the BOSS).

Still, different birds prefer the BOSS offered in different feeders. I have a platform feeder and two styles of large hopper feeders for winter, and a hardware cloth feeder for summer.

The RBG love this hopper feeder with a wide sturdy ledge around the seed well. There's room for their chunky bodies and a good grip for their feet.

I have one "up-side down" thistle feeder for the goldfinches and pine warblers. The other birds cannot hang upside down and eat. I also have suet cages and the nectar feeders.

I love me some happy birds!

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Comments (4)

tobygirl
16 years ago
For the first time in many years, I've tempted fate and left my feeder up past the end of bear hibernation. I am so enjoying seeing birds that I haven't seen up close in years, such as a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak and a pair of Purple Finches. I've also heard in the yard (but not seen) a Baltimore Oriole and the Wood Thrush in the woods. No Hummingbird here yet either, but it's been very cold. Have a pair of Bluebirds nesting in a box and discovered all five one-week old babies had died. We're not sure if it was the cold weather, lack of feeding by parents, or what - very sad!
mcmann
16 years ago
Caroline- Maybe I should switch some of my feeders from a 'nesting' mix which has added dried fruit and nuts to the BOSS. The woodpeckers really like that mixture. I wonder if the grackles would be less interested in the sunflower seeds. I'd do just about anything to reduce their presence at the feeders and I'm not too fond of doves either.

As for upside eating- we have our suet feeder hung upside down and we're amazed at quickly the grackles and wrens learned the trick. Not all of them just some of the more clever ones.

We're still waiting for our rose breasted to show up - but it only stays for a day or two and then is on it's way north but while it's here it sits at the feeder for a really long time.
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This is only my second year to have Orioles and I've never seen a nest. John - Do you know what kind of trees your neighbor has that they like? Last year, the Orioles stayed around for a little while and then disappeared so they must've nested in someone else's yard - not mine. This year they showed up about a week earlier than last year. I've seen as many as 4 males at a time in our dogwood tree where I've been feeding them. The females aren't around as much and I've only seen two. Here's a picture of my "Orange Tree" The darker one in the middle may be an Orchard Oriole. It was rainy. Here's a close-up of a Baltimore Oriole at the feeder.
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Last year I saw one male Rose Breasted GB. This year I saw 3 males and one female. Same with Oriols. Last year one male. This year 3. I think parents bring their offspring back with them. The GBs just pass through and nest further north, but the orioles nest here in NE Ok. My dad had one of the pendulous nests hanging from a tree in his front yard.
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Lucky you. Each Spring from about 2001-2003 I had a rose-breasted grosbeak visit my sunflower feeder for about four days before moving on. I haven't seen any since then.(eastern Iowa)
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Comments (9)
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
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lydia1959
16 years ago
I haven't seen a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak for several years. Lucky you!

I agree the hummingbirds were late... about 2 weeks here in MO. They are back now though! I already have a pair of Baltimore Orioles and a pair of Orchard Orioles plus a BUNCH of hummers (maybe 10 or so already)!

I have a upside down suet feeder too and have Grackles eating from it (although the feeder is supposed to be Starling and Grackle proof). The Bluejays and Cardinals eat from it too... they just fly up and grab a bite. lol
nicole__
16 years ago
I have tons of gold finches & rose breasted grosbeaks & rufus sided towhees and wrens & chicadees........by having a bird bath. I don't feed the birds in the summer. Too many bugs for them to eat....

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