Nice assortment of visitors! I rarely am brave enough to run for a camera upon first-time sightings, because the bird is usually gone by the time I get back. I'm a bit green with envy about the Pileated Woodpecker as I only get to see those while vacationing.

Thank you both!

gyr_falcon - most of the pics above were taken through the window. But you're right, I don't want to miss a bird by going and grabbing my camera. I see red bellied woodpeckers, downys and hairys all the time. The northern flicker is a real treat and I've had one visiting off and on for a while now. But the pileated was the first sighting this year. Boy is that thing BIG.

The grosbeak(s) returned today! When I first looked out back the male caught my attention. A few mins later I noticed him dining with the female. Later he hit the suet!!!

I hope they are enjoying my offerings. I put out sunflower hearts last night and this morning.

WHOA!! Just saw my first Baltimore Oriole too!! I took these through my living room window.

catherine, you get Indigo Buntings????? I saw an IB in my yard (southern Michigan) about 15 years ago and if I ever see another I will no doubt faint on the spot. My Sibley Birds East says they summer here but obviously not in my yard. Lucky you!

Feather, as usual, your pictures are glorious. The Blue Grosbeak knocked my socks off. "Rare" for my area, so I will probably never see one. HOWEVER, today for the first time (it's finally warm out, but zero blooms on my Red Bud Tree) I have 3 "adult nonbreeding" Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and 2 Baltimore Orioles. I don't believe I've seen these guys before. I am in heaven. My Chipping Sparrows are back, my Cardinals never left (YAY), and the Goldfinches are on all my feeders. I switched back to C&S suet from a generic suet, and my various woodpeckers are all back. The Robins are taking baths in all my birdbaths, everything is flying through my backyard except the Cooper's Hawk, I've just had a dish of butter pecan ice cream, and life is good.

LOL Pat............birds and ice cream.......Life IS good! :)

Thanks Pat! And congrats on seeing your first grosbeaks and orioles - they are both a first for me too!!! It sounds like your yard is hopping with our feathery friends :)

Thanks, FeatherBee, for your great pictures. I had not seen a Baltimore Oriole in more than 10 years, but since a week I see a male and he visits one of my hummingbird feeders.

The Blue Grossbeak is a bird I have not seen in my corner of KY. Lovely.

I put oranges up in my oriole feeder just a couple days ago, and one showed up today. They're so beautiful.

I've never had luck with orange slices, but hooded orioles do like the hummingbird feeders. I used to see them only occasionally and they used to make a mess by tipping the saucer-style feeders. But now that I use another brand/style, they can eat from them much like the hummingbirds. I have at least four individuals that visit regularly throughout the day now. But they are all so skittish, I cannot even get a mediocre photo.

Your Baltimore oriole is a real beauty, FeatherBee. It really stands out in the tree, with the purple in the background.