It seems like lately, every time I talk with my Mom on the phone she is telling me about some beautiful bird she is seeing in her backyard. Now, I don’t begrudge her this wee bit of boasting as I’m sure I would do the same, but instead of just listening to her tell me about them, I decided to pack up my camera and join her so I could see them for myself.

Can I start by saying she was not exaggerating! She and my Dad have a lot of beauties visiting their feeders these days. In fact, I think rather than packing them all into one post, I’ll divide them out into several. So how about we start with the Grosbeak edition?

Mom and I had just grabbed a cup of coffee and headed outside when immediately this female Blue Grosbeak landed on the back fence. This was a first time capture for me, which is always a thrill.

I confess that I was hoping her beyond-striking male counterpart would show up and give us a glimpse of his incredible blue feathers, but alas, he did not. Still, this lovely lady struck some wonderful glance-over-the-shoulder poses for us.

A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak also paid us several visits – one of those birds that is easy to identify!

These fellas are one of my favorites, I think because they are not only beautiful but also seem to be so good-natured – rarely have I seen one raise a ruckus!

Both of these Grosbeaks are just migrating through our area, so it was a treat to get to spend the morning with them. And hey, it was a treat to get to spend the morning with Mom too, despite that wee bit of bird boasting!