I got my first (ever) Grosbeaks, at my feeder today! Global warming?

[Up2Late]

Normal Migration? or just Lucky? :hippie:

This is the first time I've ever had a Grosbeak of any type, and the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak in particular. I saw at least 2 males and one female.

Is this an unusual bird for the N.W. Atlanta Metro area? I do live in what is basically, a mixed growth forest (Slash Pine, Oaks, Maples, and Sweet Gum trees), and my neighbors have recently cut down the 70 foot tall Slash Pines from their back yard, so my backyard feeder is much more open this spring.

According to my Golden Field Guide to North American Birds, I'm right on the fringe of where it's Summer range and it's migration range meet.

I also saw my first Hummingbird and Gray Catbird today too. Should these "Summer Range" birds be here already? I also saw more Blue Jays today than I saw all of last year. Hopefully they are recovering from the "West Nile Virus" die-off of the last few years.

Anyone else see new or unusual birds today or this week?

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. Lucky you

the rosy breasted Grosbeak is such a beautiful bird!

[pie]

2. I hope you get more replies

very interesting subject

[jpak]

3. This week is the peak of Spring Migration

in the SE US (usually last week in April, first week in May).

You'll probably have other strange visitors too...:)

[Up2Late]

4. That's good to know, you think they'll stay?

I just hope my flock of Goldfinch (second year in a row) move on soon, they've gone through almost two bags of the Thistle seeds this year. I think I have one permanent nesting pair.

The Goldfinch and the House Finches are double teaming this year, going though a LOT of seed.

Do you think the bird populations are still recovering from the DDT years? I seem to get one or two new varieties each year.

[bloom]

5. I had some grosbeak pass through my place

in Indiana last year. It was the first I had seen them.

My goldfinches live on black sunflower seeds and the wildflowers that I grow for them - esp. black-eyed-susans and that sort of thing.

Where I lived before this we had huge flocks that would stay around in the summers, esp. - I had a huge wildflower garden.

I never buy thistle seed.


My saddest story is that I used to have some red-headed woodpeckers that I loved. That came to our feeders and I could see their nest in a tree not so far off the deck. And they moved away - I think - because the neighbors cut down a large part of their woods that joined ours. :cry: