Chirps and Cheeps

Thanks to my good friends, Willie and Betsy, I got my second ever opportunity to see a female Evening Grosbeak. These birds live up north but periodically come down to the Western New York region in winters when food becomes scarce for them. Their visits and populations used to be more plentiful but they've become much more scarce in the last 20 years or so.

When I arrived where she was visiting, the grosbeak was calmly sitting in a spruce tree.  She was a perfect photographic subject and I quickly grabbed a few shots through the window. Every once in awhile, she'd visit the hopper and feed on the black oil sunflower seeds. She repeated this several times while I was there and we all got some wonderful views.

I don't know if her passing through the area means we'll see more irruptive species, but my hopes are high for a good winter here in Western New York!