Rose-breasted grosbeaks join the party

[Caroline]

Late yesterday afternoon I noticed the first rose-breasted grosbeak of the season. A beautiful male was in the tray feeder I have hung in the tree. He was dining with house and gold finches, all in full spring colors.

The orioles seem scarce and I've not seen a hummingbird yet. Poor things are probably frozen to a twig somewhere. The house finches are gobbling up the oranges.

I have several wrens doing what wrens do best- making a lot of noise and zooming around. I've spotted a catbird, too.

The martins are managing to feed. I counted 14 over the gourds last night. The aren't very vocal yet, although I do hear some chattering right now.

It's so cold I haven't started lowering and raising their rack yet. I do this nearly daily so they become use to my interfering before egg-laying time.

The tree swallows come to "their" nest box everyday just to reinforce ownership, but other than putting in a couple pieces of grass they aren't ready to settle in.

I'm going to impose on my neighbor again. I have a nest box in their back yard - it alternates with tree swallows and wrens; I want to put another one up in thier front yard, near a red twig dogwood, to form the third "leg" of the tree swallow/blue bird/purple martin protocol.

The neighbor across the road said I could put a nest box up in her yard, too!

I have good neighbor's!

[SYmywa]

Caroline

Sounds like, surrounding your self /w swoop n song
You do have good neighbors.
Gross beaks n Orioles are in.
Mrs BB confiscated Chickadee's house and is sporting 4 in-shell's.
She winked at me when I checked-in on her
The TS Blu-Bombers have settled-in to a daily air show, along /w some semi-serious nest
building/copulating. Eggs should appear soon.

Spose the SY's will soon be wingen your way

Jerome