On Friday, just as I was leaving the house to meet Romie in Paulding so we could go to Defiance and get more lumber for Project #1, I noticed a new visitor to the bird feeders. It was a beautiful bird whose appearance took me back to a Christmas Day of my childhood ...
It was sometime in the mid-1960s and while sitting in the living room, we heard a loud thump on the front picture window. Probably a bird; we investigated and there in the planter below, it laid ... the collision with the window had been fatal. It was a beautiful bird that we'd never seen before, but we looked it up in our World Book encyclopedias and found out that it was a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus). They don't winter over this far north, so why one was still around at the end of December is unknown.
Since that time, I can recall seeing this bird just one other time, and now here one was, right before my eyes. I grabbed the camera, knowing I was going to be late meeting Romie, but capturing this moment was a bigger priority. The Grosbeak wasn't particular scared of me, and I was able to get quite close to it.
UPDATE: We got a new one later today - a bluebird! No pics yet, but I hope to get a good one if it keeps hanging around. It was so pretty!
"Bejeweled"
8 comments:
what a wonderful treat! I can't believe how close it let you get, such great pictures. Hope it sticks around.
What a beautiful bird! I've never seen one of those before in person.
Beautiful pictures! I've never seen one before so thanks for sharing!
Kylee,
Great Grosbeak photos and story.
I've certainly appreciated your kind notes when you've visited, and have never been disappointed when I've come to visit your blog. Keep up the great work, and thank you...
What a lovely day you had shopping for plants with your daughter and grandmom Kylee! You are blessed to have all living close-by.
Love the picture of the grosbeak,
I've not seen one where I live yet, but my mom had seen them at her feeder years ago in NJ.
Now this is the kind of visitor one never tires of getting. What a beautiful bird. I hope more will come to visit you!
BTW Your next post is an excellent one but I cannot comment on it as the comment thingy is not there. So that's why I'm doing it here. ;-)
Working in the garden can be hard work physically, but it's very rewarding for your mind and soul and therefor not hard at all. :-)
Wonderful pictures! I'm glad you paused to take pictures!
I didn't see anywhere to comment, either, on the above post...which is lovely...and so on target! When you enjoy something, the work is pleasurable...beautiful garden(s)!
Just discovered your blog -- wonderful! What great pictures of the grosbeak. There was one at my feeder yesterday (only the second time in the five years I've lived in my house), but when I went out to try to get a picture he flew away. Oh well... Just seeing him was a thrill.
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