Rose-breasted grosbeaks join the party
Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 9:51 am
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!
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!
