I love it when I get to borrow someone else’s backyard birds! Like two days ago, when my Mom called and told me that she had just seen a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at her feeders. Well, I can assure you that I wasted no time at all in inviting myself over!

I took my camera with me (as if you had any doubt!) and we set up two chairs in the backyard and sipped on some iced-tea while we waited for them to show up. Within about ten minutes, they both made an appearance – he with his bold black, white and red markings…

…and she with her softer toned beiges and creams.

I’d always prefer to get pictures of birds when they’re not on feeders, but these two are fueling up for the rest of their migration journey, so they were majorly munching! Besides, like Mama says, “You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit!”

They did occasionally land on an overhead bar…

…or on the ground to feast on some fallen seed, so at least a few pictures were feederless.

You can tell that his fella is still getting his adult feathers as he has some remnants of brown on his back. When male Grosbeaks are juveniles they have the color tones of their Mamas, then look like their Daddies when they are fully mature.

These beauties don’t stick around very long; here in Georgia we are basically just a fuel station for them as they pass through in the spring and the fall. It is always such a pleasure to get to see them while they’re visiting and grab a few photos!

And here’s hoping I can borrow some more backyard birds soon!