Blue Grosbeak Visit...

William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message

​A large, vibrantly blue bunting with an enormous silver bill and chestnut wingbars. The male Blue Grosbeak sings a rich, warbling song from trees and roadside wires. He and his cinnamon-colored mate often raise two broods of nestlings in a single breeding season. They are widespread but not abundant across the southern U.S., and are expanding their range. Blue Grosbeaks are heavily parasitized by cowbirds, which lay their own eggs in the grosbeak’s nests.

​Saturday, 8:01 AM – A gray, but brightening sky. A layer of lowering fog has filtered the sunrise. It’s a little damp, but 66°. Having a pre-run cup of coffee on my back patio. An Eastern Phoebe takes a bath in the dew-laden grass. Some of the usual birds are at the feeders: chickadees, cardinals, titmice… but a few unusual visitors have passed through this morning as well.

First, a pale gray Opossum, his fine fur damp from the morning dew, ambles across the backyard. He trotted from near the firewood stack, off to the right and out into the woods behind my shed.

Next, a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird stops for a quick drink at the nectar feeder. The last several years, the female hummers were “regular” visitors. But not so this year. I’ve only seen this male make occasional visits, such as this morning.
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And the last uncommon visitors were a pair of Blue Groskbeaks. My wife joined me with a cup of coffee when I saw some blue at the seed feeder. I quickly went inside for my telephoto and confirmed the sighting. I tried to tiptoe through the wet grass for a closer shot, but spooked them both off. 
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Athens, Georgia
​Forecast: mostly sunny, 30% chance of an evening thunderstorm; high near 89°
Sunrise 6:28 AM; sunset 8:31 PM
Day length: 14 hours, 3 minutes
Moon: 34% waning crescent.

Female Blue Grosbeak; Clarke County, Georgia