Monday, May 13, 2013

Not Such A Warm Welcome

This little guy just got in from Columbia, South America where they winter.
 They come up to to breed here in North America in spring and summer.
 Hmmm, maybe I flew a bit far too north thinks this Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Yep, that's snow you see. Yesterday May 12th, it snowed off and on all day in my part of SW Ontario.
 
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a large stocky insect-eating songbird in the cardinal family. It is primarily a foliage gleaner. It breeds in cool-temperate North America, migrating to tropical Central and South America in winter.

They also eat sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and raw peanuts, which is a good thing, because there were no insects around in the snowstorm!
 
This is a "first" for me, I've never seen Grosbeaks before. I spent a lot of the day watching TWO of them pigging out at the feeders! I also saw one female, but she never stood still enough for me to get a shot.
 
sharing with...
 
OUR WORLD TUESDAY
NATURE NOTES
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

62 comments:

  1. RedPatMay 13, 2013 at 12:32 PM

    Home too early this year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Buttons ThoughtsMay 13, 2013 at 2:14 PM

    Great shots Karen I have seen them around here but then again we do not have snow coming down like you had yesterday:) B

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMay 13, 2013 at 2:32 PM

    Beautiful captures! Hope he adjusts to the cooler temps! Hope you are done with snow!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joanne OlivieriMay 13, 2013 at 2:33 PM

    I have never seen one either and he is just beautiful. Your photos are wonderfully detailed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A Creative GraceMay 13, 2013 at 3:17 PM

    Wonderful shots there, I bet he wished he packed his thermals though!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sylvia KMay 13, 2013 at 4:29 PM

    What a beautiful bird and your shots are terrific, Karen!! I've never seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak before so these shots are a real treat!! He does look just a tad chilly!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. eileeninmdMay 13, 2013 at 4:53 PM

    I just love these beautiful birds, great shots!

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownMay 13, 2013 at 5:32 PM

    Great shots!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  9. KarenMay 13, 2013 at 5:56 PM

    Beautiful photography Karen, gorgeous birds, must be tuff for them when it snows.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Aud May 13, 2013 at 6:15 PM

    So lovely pictures taken by the little bird. Boring that it has snowed, hope it disappears quickly.
    Have a great week :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. RalphMay 13, 2013 at 6:16 PM

    The Grosbeak shouldn't be all that surprised - it is after all the Great White North. Snow is what should be occurring in the Yukon instead of the southern provinces. Nature seems to be getting the last laugh at the expense of the bird...warmer days is our hope for you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gerald (SK14)May 13, 2013 at 6:28 PM

    that's a lovely red flash

    ReplyDelete
  13. DebbieMay 13, 2013 at 6:30 PM

    awwww poor babies!!

    these images are amazing karen, i just love the crisp, clear, up-close detail!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Les...May 13, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    great pics and another trophy for your bird feeders "hall of fame" !

    well done! *VBS*

    ReplyDelete
  15. SandyCarlsonMay 13, 2013 at 9:23 PM

    A great sequence. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  16. AlMay 13, 2013 at 9:51 PM

    What a pretty bird. I agree, maybe it did fly a little too far north too early!

    ReplyDelete
  17. CarverMay 13, 2013 at 10:15 PM

    That's a very handsome bird. Great shots.

    ReplyDelete
  18. TexWisGirlMay 13, 2013 at 10:39 PM

    GREAT shots! beautiful! poor little things!

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousMay 13, 2013 at 11:06 PM

    Those shots are simply stunning! Sorry about the snow though...

    ReplyDelete
  20. lina@womenMay 13, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    Amazing bird shots. Hope the bird can survive.

    ReplyDelete
  21. DrillerAAMay 13, 2013 at 11:20 PM

    Excellent captures, each one. We had a very cold, wet, and even a little snowy spring. The robins were dazed and confused. Have a great Ruby Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Karen @ Beatrice EuphemieMay 14, 2013 at 12:20 AM

    Such a pretty bird! Beautiful shots and interesting information. Thanks for sharing! xx

    ReplyDelete
  23. CarlettaMay 14, 2013 at 1:56 AM

    How exciting for you!
    I've never seen one of these pretty little fellows.
    Love your second shot!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Elephant's ChildMay 14, 2013 at 3:24 AM

    Such a treat. A gorgeous bird. Thank you. Lots.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Reader WilMay 14, 2013 at 4:01 AM

    You did a great job taking photos of these birds. I don't know how you manage it, but I never get close enough to birds to get a sharp picture of them.You spent so much time and have so much patience and the results are stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Carole M.May 14, 2013 at 4:16 AM

    oh...it's just beautiful; fabulous photographs

    ReplyDelete
  27. lina@womenMay 14, 2013 at 4:59 AM

    Perfectly captured.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Stewart MMay 14, 2013 at 5:16 AM

    Wonderful picture - I love the falling snow

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    ReplyDelete
  29. ArijaMay 14, 2013 at 6:22 AM

    What a thrill to have such a wonderful visitor drop in. Glad your fast food stand was open for business.

    ReplyDelete
  30. EG CameraGirlMay 14, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    Cute guy! I wonder how he liked the below-freezing temperatures e had recently.

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnnaMay 14, 2013 at 7:49 AM

    Ggorgeous bird, Karen!
    Love the colors...
    Warm greetings from Holland,
    Anna :))

    ReplyDelete
  32. Gail DixonMay 14, 2013 at 9:13 AM

    Impressive shots! Poor things though, I hope they survive the elements. You were able to get some really awesome images of these beautiful birds.

    ReplyDelete
  33. HansHBMay 14, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    Lovely serie of photos!
    Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  34. LeoviMay 14, 2013 at 1:21 PM

    Great! I like, light and color, beautiful bird, nice photos!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Kim@stuffcould....May 14, 2013 at 1:27 PM

    These birds stopped by here on their way up to see y'all:). I did not get a pic but I was remarking how pretty the red was

    ReplyDelete
  36. mariondejongMay 14, 2013 at 1:55 PM

    Beautiful pictures of a beautiful bird, we don't see them here.
    Best regards, Marion

    ReplyDelete
  37. FABMay 14, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    Hi Karen. Stunning images of a species I have never seen in the flesh.
    Like many of our migrant visitors they must be wondering why they flew northwards to be greeted by bad weather!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Nette CeciliaMay 14, 2013 at 2:20 PM

    Great photos ,nette

    ReplyDelete
  39. RajeshMay 14, 2013 at 3:00 PM

    Very lovely bird. Nice color contrasts.

    ReplyDelete
  40. i stora dragMay 14, 2013 at 4:19 PM

    Great pictures of a bird I never seen before! Too bad you got snow!
    Greetings Pia

    ReplyDelete
  41. Kenneth Cole SchneiderMay 14, 2013 at 4:45 PM

    Here in NE Illinois it got down to freezing the night before last, and today it is in the mid-80s (F). Very nice photos of the grosbeak in those conditions.

    ReplyDelete
  42. mickMay 14, 2013 at 4:51 PM

    Beautiful bird and I hope it warms up soon around your place.

    ReplyDelete
  43. NatureFootstepMay 14, 2013 at 6:19 PM

    poor little one. I hope the snow is gone again. But you got some great shots.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Icy BCMay 14, 2013 at 6:37 PM

    Wow..so beautiful of a bird, and the colors are just amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Rambling WoodsMay 14, 2013 at 7:43 PM

    It was the same here... Poor birds.... Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  46. AnonymousMay 15, 2013 at 2:41 AM

    Beautiful photos, it will be so nice when they arrive in Alberta!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hootin AnniMay 15, 2013 at 6:33 AM

    It's nice to see these again. We had them in our back yard about a month, and the last time I saw one was a couple of weeks ago. I miss them. Glad you shared their beauty with us.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Sallie (FullTime-Life)May 15, 2013 at 9:55 AM

    Poor cold little birdies (poor you too ;>))... but, oh I would have been just the same as you, watching them all day long. Thanks for sharing your "lifer" ... they are such a beautiful bird. I have had only two tiny glimpses of them; can hardly count them as a bird I've seen.

    ReplyDelete
  49. LauraMay 15, 2013 at 12:41 PM

    oh Karen these are truly stunning photos!

    ReplyDelete
  50. BetteyMay 15, 2013 at 2:42 PM

    These are all just amazing! I am not one that has the patience or talent to take a good bird photo, so I envy yours!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Brian KingMay 16, 2013 at 12:49 AM

    Fabulous shots! We don't see them here, but they're gorgeous birds!

    ReplyDelete
  52. ArijaMay 16, 2013 at 4:35 AM

    Really amazing to get snow in mid-May. Weather around the world has gone haywire in the last few years. We are two weeks out of winter and my roses are shooting as though it were sprain also, the birds are into territorial fights.
    Wonderful for you to see this lifer and I am so glad that your take-away was open to sustain them.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Crafty Green PoetMay 16, 2013 at 5:51 AM

    what a handsome bird!

    ReplyDelete
  54. PatMay 16, 2013 at 10:11 AM

    Excellent shots of this gorgeous bird.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Richard PeglerMay 16, 2013 at 1:13 PM

    I nearly missed these Karen! Beautiful photos of a spectacular bird - I'd love to see one!!

    ReplyDelete
  56. AnnMay 16, 2013 at 11:15 PM

    Stunning photos. Beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete
  57. LewMay 17, 2013 at 12:31 AM

    The weather this year is enough to get anyone one off schedule, but especially if one is flying in from thousands of miles away!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Mary Howell CromerMay 17, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    We in KY have had some crazy weather too. Glad that some were like yourself and placed out seed for these beauties. What a shake-up to travel so far and then get hit with a snowfall~

    ReplyDelete
  59. NeilMay 17, 2013 at 6:07 PM

    Great photos.

    ReplyDelete
  60. bree trower-shawMay 17, 2013 at 7:34 PM

    how CUUUUUTE! love you gramma

    ReplyDelete
  61. KarenMay 19, 2013 at 11:51 PM

    Love you too my sweet girl!

    ReplyDelete
  62. MeMay 20, 2013 at 7:12 PM

    This series is wonderful. I think Beaker is my favorite of all our birds. The pic`s of him are so crisp, love the detail.

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a comment, and hey, why not follow my blog too.
I can't respond to every comment, but I will return the favour and visit your blog. I have turned off word verification, but it randomly shows up, that's a BLOGGER glitch.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)