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08/19/12
Evening Grosbeak
Filed under: General, Birding & Outdoors, Rutherford & NJ, NM & SW US, Bird D'pot
Posted by: Ken @ 10:46 am

This Evening Grosbeak at my front yard feeder in New Mexico (February 2003) was one of my first digiscoped photos. It was taken from inside our living room window through a Kowa spotting scope with a little Canon PowerShot A40– only 2 megapixels! Today I’d be pleased to get such a shot with my ginormous DSLR, but am not expecting to see one in Florida!.

Evening Grosbeak male FEB03

I still have my handwritten notes on my first sighting of Evening Grosbeaks on October 21, 1951, Life Bird #154, a flock of about a dozen at Garret Mountain, N.J. (reservation). They were gathered in a small leafless tree, a sight burned into my memory.  In a boastful footnote I quoted Alan Cruickshank’s 1942 edition of “Birds Around New York City: Where and when to find them,” under Eastern Evening Grosbeak.

“Seen… as early as November 15, 1915…and as early as October 27, 1927… but such dates are exceptional as the bird seldom arrives before Christmas, and the large majority of records are grouped in January and February…The recording of this species in the New York City region is still a red-letter occasion, and I know many an active observer who is yet to see this species locally.”

Actually there had been a large flight the previous winter, but none showed up near my home in Rutherford, and I was met with skepticism by the veterans when I reported my sighting to the Hackensack Bird Club at their next meeting in Odd Fellows Hall.

William J. Boyle wrote, in “The Birds of New Jersey” (2011) that there had been major flights since that time into the 1980’s. Only 9 individuals had been recorded in four CBCs since 1998.

I prepared this blog for the ABA “Bird of the Year” Evening Grosbeak Blog Carnival but because of other demands on my time I forgot to post it! However, is is up in time for the Bird D’pot
and Wild Bird Wednesday!

9 Responses to “Evening Grosbeak”

  1. Boom & Gary Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 12:02 pm These guys are always a pleasure to see. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
  2. Pat Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 12:07 pm A lovely bird!
  3. Anni [at I'd Rather B Birdin] Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 1:30 pm ….that image was taken through a window? Wow….it’s such a photo of clarity tho. And the grosbeak is pretty, isn’t he? I guess I should say, “handsome”….guys just aren’t pretty…they’re handsome. Thanks for linking up this week at the Bird D’Pot.
  4. Crafty Gardener Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 1:44 pm The evening grosbeak is gorgeous.
  5. DeniseinVA Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 3:38 pm Wonderful photo and the coloring on this bird is really pretty.
  6. Modesto Viegas Says:
    August 19th, 2012 at 5:52 pm Nice bird!!!
  7. Roan Says:
    August 20th, 2012 at 4:40 am Amazing capture. I agree, I could only hope to get this good of a shot with my camera. Most of my bird pictures are blurry and hard to see. Occasionally I get a keeper, but most are deleted.
  8. Nancy Says:
    August 20th, 2012 at 11:16 am I’ve never seen one of these in person. Beautiful bird!
  9. Ken Says:
    August 29th, 2012 at 4:06 pm Thanks for dropping by, everyone. Your kind comments are appreciated!

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