Look what landed on my feeder this morning: a rose-breasted grosbeak. I haven't seen one of these since I was a kid. Actually, I may have been seeing the female and didn't know it. The photos I've turned up online show her as virtually indistinguishable from a sparrow, and I have lots of those.
The feeder has been a huge success. So much so that I had to move it off the front porch because of the mess. (See my bird list on the sidebar?)
I've been taking it in at night to keep the raccoons out of it, and filling it only halfway so that it's mostly empty by nightfall. I've has to shoo them away with a broom to get it sometimes.
And now Chuck the Woodchuck has gotten wind of the freebies. I ran him off the deck railing twice this morning, caught with his nose in the seeds. He retreats to the bottom of the steps, with just the top of his head and eyes showing, waiting for me to turn my back, and then sneaks slowly along the edge back toward the feeder. It's pretty funny, but annoying at the same time. I think my next step has to be a pole feeder with a baffle.
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6 comments:
Isn't this funny..I had one this week too. The female has that big cardinal like beak which will help distinguish her from another sparrow. You might get a nesting pair and babies Vicki....Michelle
Great photo, you must keep your camera around you neck for emergency photography.
I don't deal with raccoons but fight a daily battle with the squirrels.
Good tip about the beak, Michelle. I'll keep an eye out for big-mouthed mamas. ;-)
Life, yeah - I do keep the camera handy. You never know when a photo op will arrive. I haven't had trouble with squirrels yet. We have a few, but they keep to the woods. The feeder is in the middle of wide-open space, and they don't like that.
That's a pretty bird and I would never have known what it is. I like the idea of bringing the feeder in. We only have one with visitors. The others are on poles without access. I've never seen a squirrel on them anyway. [crosses fingers]
News, I think the pole feeder is the way to go. It's on my wish list.
that's a beautiful bird!
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