Evening Grosbeaks

[cairnstone]

I had never seen an Evening Grosbeak before. All these years somehow they had eluded me. This morning at 10:30 I had at least 30  of them for 5 minutes in the backyard in Brampton. The flock took off headed south toward the east end of Mississauga/west end of Toronto.

[thouc]

Nice, they seem to be on the move this year. I have only seen them once, several years ago when some were at High Park.

[Axeman]

Your luck rubbed off on me....I had them this a.m. at my feeders that sit on my deck rails (striped sunflower seed)...it was a big deal for me for two reasons...first, I have never seen an EG before and second, I had dismissed them initially as goldfinches (didn't look particularly closely...not wearing glasses etc.)....it was my kid who drew my attention to them....I looked closely and realized among other things, that they were larger than AG's...but my kid (teenager) who hasn't expressed any interest in birding recognized that she had never seen these birds before....so that was even cooler....I'm still on a high from the experience.

[thouc]

Cool!


I saw one yesterday, but just a flyover, so didn't get the full experience.

[Axeman]

I mentioned it to my doctor who is also a naturalist with a keen interest in birding and he said that he too has been seeing them and that he has other friends in the area who have reported EG's at their feeders....love the drop ins of spring and fall.

[Napper]

Very interesting, I've only seen Evening Grosbeak's way, way up North..
Two hour drive West of Thunderbay at Outlaws house by the lake.
Napper 

[Ally]

Your luck rubbed off on me....I had them this a.m. at my feeders that sit on my deck rails (striped sunflower seed)...it was a big deal for me for two reasons...first, I have never seen an EG before and second, I had dismissed them initially as goldfinches (didn't look particularly closely...not wearing glasses etc.)....it was my kid who drew my attention to them....I looked closely and realized among other things, that they were larger than AG's...but my kid (teenager) who hasn't expressed any interest in birding recognized that she had never seen these birds before....so that was even cooler....I'm still on a high from the experience.

I CAN'T FEED THEM any more. So I will just think what I could have seen at my feeder.

[Axeman]

@ Napper -- I was sharing my sighting with my buddy who lives in Fredonia, NY and he said he's never seen them...too far south for them which made me feel good....he's seen a lot of fabulous things from birds to cougars and wolves in the wild. So your outlaws get them during the summer?

@ Ally....I'm sorry to hear that re: can't feed them anymore....

[Napper]

Axeman!
Evening Grosbeaks and Pine Grosbeaks usually year round at their feeder.
The Humming birds are the most entertaining thou in the summer, they usually nest in a tree near the house. Very vocal bunch.


Napper

[Axeman]

I was thumbing through my 1985 copy of Peterson's and the EG distribution map shows that they are year round residents just north of me....past Manitoulin....from the map, it looks like they aren't migratory...have I got that right? Which then leads me to wonder why did I get so lucky to see them at my feeders?

[thouc]

Like several other finch species they are irruptive, which means that some years all birds stay up north, other years they move south a bit, and yet other years (far and few between for Evening Grosbeaks) they wander south in large numbers due to lack of food further north. This year is an irruption year for many finches with Crossbills, Redpolls and Purple Finches also coming south in greater numbers.

[Ally]

Like several other finch species they are irruptive, which means that some years all birds stay up north, other years they move south a bit, and yet other years (far and few between for Evening Grosbeaks) they wander south in large numbers due to lack of food further north. This year is an irruption year for many finches with Crossbills, Redpolls and Purple Finches also coming south in greater numbers.

oh, oh, really? I have yet to see crossbills this year, hope to see them. So cute, I mean, how do they kiss?

[thouc]

A lot of the observations have been of fly-over birds by people that are good at recognizing their calls, so I'm not sure if they are staying in southern Ontario or just passing by.

[Dinusaur]

The only place I have seen and photographed White-winged and Red Crossbills on trees and on the ground, were in Algonquin Park.

[Axeman]

Well now I know what "irruption" means....all these years and I have just been too lazy to look it up.

Oh good....I think it's been a while since I've seen redpolls down my way.....