Cardinal is my bet over squirrel or any other bird.

Melanie, you ought to submit the GC Flycatcher photos to All About Birds - both the crest up ones AND the crest down ones. They are seriously lacking in GCF photos and it would be fantastic for people to see the crest down photos as well.

Lots of birds today, especially Evening Grosbeaks. Please enlarge to see full photo.
Tree Swallow, checking out the box the squirrel was chewing up---- Female Evening Grosbeak coming to drink at the fountain.


Dark-eyed Junco--- Male Evening Grosebeak flew into my shot.


Brown-headed Cowbird---- 2 male Evening Grosbeaks and one Female


A nice group of male Evening Grosbeaks and one Cowbird--- What I saw a little later through the window, bye bye Cowbird, Sharp-shinned Hawk grabbed him for lunch.

I hope you thanked the hawk for choosing well.

Wow, you really caught a cross-section of nature there, Margaret! Beautiful grosbeaks, and they sure have very green beaks don't they.

I guess the hawk's gotta eat, too.

I love the picture of the bird photo-bombing the other bird!

There's a ham in every family photo!

Thanks everyone.I felt a little bad for the Cowbird, but better that than one of the Grosbeaks.

Melanie, thank you for the tip.

White breasted nuthatch (we get both red and white):



Downy woodpecker:

How cool are those Evening Grosebeaks, love them

Great pictures everyone!

Melanie, that's so cool you were able to get pics of the baby Osprey!

Margaret, I've never seen Grosbeaks before. I can't get over that stunning green beak!

This was one of the birds I saw in Chicago

Ah, yes. A male Red wing blackbird. Pretty, and this one is also on the west coast.

for some fabulous photos Margaret!!!! I am glad the hawk snatched the cowbird. That's one less & way better than if it had gotten any other bird.

Lori what perfect photos! I love that nuthatch. The little woodpecker looks to be saying, "What are YOU looking at?"

Cecilia that's a beauty of a photo of the Red Winged Blackbird.

Margaret, I love that #2 pic of the female Evening Grosbeak on the fence!

Thank you Robin. The Evening Grosbeaks get very loud when there's a large group, there's a constant loud chatter.

Lovely Evening Grosbeaks, Margaret! That one is on my wish to see.

Melanie, so neat you got the Osprey feeding its chick! I agree with Ann about submitting your GCF photos.

Thank you Claudia. I got to hold one in my hands a couple of weeks ago, a male flew into the window and stunned itself so I picked it up and put it in the spruce tree, it was fine after awhile.

Always distressing when they fly at the windows, but you got a "real" closeup look at him, Margaret.

Today the red-bellied woodpeckers brought their baby to visit the feeders. He's almost as big as the parents already, just not much red color on his head yet. He was obsessed with the cage feeder which he really couldn't get into, but finally did learn to eat seeds from the big feeder.

Really nice clear photos Elaine. I guess he thought he was a little guy.

mcash70 said:Thank you Claudia. I got to hold one in my hands a couple of weeks ago, a male flew into the window and stunned itself so I picked it up and put it in the spruce tree, it was fine after awhile.

Isn't it special being able to hold them?