Black-headed Grosbeak, male, and very wet. (Pheucticus melanocephalus). All photos are 1500 x 996, click for full size.
© C. Ford. All rights reserved.
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Black-headed Grosbeak, male, and very wet. (Pheucticus melanocephalus). All photos are 1500 x 996, click for full size.
© C. Ford. All rights reserved.
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Beautiful bird and wonderful shots.
Yesterday I saw what looked like an all-gray grosbeak (no other color at all) of some kind. At first I thought it was a catbird, but then I saw the conical beak. It had black eyes and I could see a pattern in the wings from lighter to darker gray, but not much variation in that medium gray color otherwise. Even a gray beak and legs.
I still have no idea what it was.
Kengi:
The female Evening Grosbeak, and immature ones, are mostly gray. Same with Pine Grosbeaks, too. Sounds like you’ve got an interesting one!
OK, just got two poor quality photos of the bird in question (kept jumping up higher on the branch, then flew away), but they may help to confirm its identity.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/kengi2000/915w3C
https://www.flickr.com/gp/kengi2000/27esUE
Great shots indeed, the tree figure on the abdomen is so clear when he’s wet.
Kengi @ 3:
Oh, I have your bird! That’s a juvenile Cowbird, Molothrus ater.
Ice Swimmer @ 4:
That is a tree shape! Never noticed that before.
Bingo! Thanks so much. My guide books were steering me wrong (biased toward descriptions of male coloration/markings).
Still raining a lot at your end?
Ah, I see, stuffing the rats into increasingly uncomfortable puppets and covering them with salad isn’t working, so now its time for waterbirding…
I just love how the birds in your photos keep straining their neck to take a better look at you!
“What is that human doing?” they wonder.
rq @ 8, yes. Been very stormy lately, but the rain was desperately needed. I just wish it wouldn’t torrent down right after I’ve put a bunch of seed out.
Alexander @ 10:
I love that too! Some birds are much more responsive to the shutter click than others. Doves are most responsive, they are very curious about the shutter clicks. Grosbeaks pay attention, just in case that noise heralds something hungry, and woodpeckers pay attention at first, then ignore it as gibberish.