This year is a bumper crop year for seeing new birds. My feeders usually have house finches, sparrows, chipmunks and Starlings. All at one time I had 2 Cardinals, a Bluejay, a Downey Woodpecker and 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. I’ve never seen any Grosbeaks before this past week so this is another “lifer” for me.

While at bird banding, we saw Rose-breasted Grosbeaks flying in the trees above. It seemed everyone we have talked to lately has seen the Grosbeaks at their feeders. Is this strange? I’ve never seen them before and neither has some others that I talked to. I’m so happy they came to my area of the city, though, as they are just so striking with the black and white pattern with a splash of red.