Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Evening Grosbeaks of The Vermilon River- A post to World Bird Wednesday

Female


Female Profile


Male Grosbeak
These birds arrive in flights and at first you're wondering if you've got some Goldfinch still in summer colours. Then you realize you've got something far different and then, they're gone. Beauties aren't they? But They'll eat you out of house and home.But who cares?

Originating in the foothills of the Rockies they have moved east and were noted in the 1850's around Toronto and have since spread. They are members of the finch family and tend to prefer coniferous forests although they will now settle happily into mixed forests. They are attracted to forests with spruce bud worm problems as they are a natural predator of the the bud worm.
The english name is somewhat forced as they are not creatures of the evening. Rather, the french name is much better, en francais:  Le gros-bec errant or the large beaked wanderer which describes their habits. In an especially bad outbreak of spruce bud worm in the Maritimes there were huge numbers attracted by the insect. But after spraying few remained.

The above probably accounts for their presence here. It is a regenerating primarily coniferous forest, although
with lots of soft and now some young hardwood trees. There is also a spruce bud worm problem.Suprisingly enough they also like salt and gravel so you will find flocks on the roads.

 Not only is the female attractive, although the male with those yellow horns is more so, but in the summer the beak will turn green, and  they sit in the spruce trees so the green beak completes their camouflage.  The colourful plumage is also,then, natures' protection.

All these facts are from the the Cdn Web publication "Who's Who In The Hinterland".
A post to World Bird Wednesday.

36 comments:

  1. Beautiful dusky colours in this cute little bird! Great photo!

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  2. Hi Greyscale Territory: They are great birds and fine protectors against spruce budworm which is more of a problem than ever with global warming.

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  3. Lovely photos of some gorgeous birds, Gary! And interesting historical information. You are lucky to have them in your area all year around. Here they sometimes visit feeders in the winter. I recently saw a flock of about 50 at a friend's house in the woods and put a photo on my Facebook page. I have seen a couple at my feeder only once and they were gone again within minutes.

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  4. Hi Hilke: They sure are flighty tho'. I have since seen them deep in the forest on a trail, again a flock, but they were too far away even for the 500mm. Thanks for the visit.

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  5. They really are beautiful. I love their colors! Very nice job on the captures!

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  6. Hi Emptynester: They are quite the site as they arrive in large flocks, and leave in a burst,even if you're not ready with the camera.Thanks for the visit.

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  7. Lovely birds well captured Gary. Must be great to see them in large numbers.

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  8. To theconstantwalker:They are quite the sight, because they're here in colourful flocks. One of them blows the whistle and they all take off. Then there's nothing because their take off has scared off everything else.

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  9. An interesting species Gary and not unlike our heavy billed Hawfinch.

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  10. To Early Birder: I'll have to tract down a photo of your Hawfinch. Thanks for the visit.

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  11. I've only had one Evening Grosbeak here in the past 30 years. When I was a youngster at home we had droves of them and as you say they'll eat you out of house and home!
    Beautiful bird!
    B.

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  12. To Becky and Gary: I had actually never seen one before. Thanks for the visit.

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  13. We get the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks but I have yet to see one of these colorful versions. I am now prepared to identify one if I get lucky. Your photos are beautifully detailed. I guess the 500mm is breaking in well! I thought those beaks were for seed crunching, I didn't know about their appetite for worms. ;-)WBW to you and Boom!

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  14. Interesting post, lovely bird. I'm enjoying seeing the species on the other side of the continent.

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  15. Beautiful birds Gary, especially that handsome male.

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  16. Cute bird - I would love to see it with the green beak!

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  17. Just as Frank (The Early Birder) says, your Grossbeaks are rather like our UK Hawfinches. Thanks for your comments on my blog. Best wishes for Christmas and 2011. PS: Love your header picture - is it a husky?

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  18. Love these fellows--ONCE a few somehow ended up here and stopped for a day then disappeared-The bright yellow swish on the face is always such a great surprise!

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  19. To Springman: For worms, read larvae of the spruce budworm which is a moth. Thanks for your visit and kind words.

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  20. To Martha Z: Glad you have them to enjoy. Probably because the rockies are North American and these guys recognize no boundaries.Wonder if Homeland Security & the Mounties knows about them.

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  21. To Holding Moments: Yes they're beauties, but it's also the flocks they come in.

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  22. To Dreamfalcon: Yes isn't it amazing to change beak colours?

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  23. To Dixxe: Yes they're quite funny the way they come and go.Thanks for the visit.

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  24. To Emma Anderson: I answered your question on your site. Thanks for the visit.

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  25. Lovely shots of the birds. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

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  26. Awesome photos! I would GLADLY let them eat me out of house and home!!

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  27. To wncmoutainliving: Merry Christmas to you, and thanks for the visit.

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  28. Hi Jen: They really are something!! Merry Christmas to you and the dogs. Boom & Gary.

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  29. They make a beautiful couple. The male colours are fantastic!

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  30. To JM: Yes they're quite the guys;in a flock of 10 or 15 the colours are incredible.

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  31. Nice shots of them. We used to have a grosbeak knock on our back door window frequently, probably wanting more food.

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  32. To Sally: With that beak they probably knock loudly.Thanks for the visit and kind words.

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  33. Beautiful! I have yet to see an evening grosbeak. We get the Rose Breasted one around here.

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  34. To IGW: They certainly are show stoppers in everthing from their appearence to their landings and take-offs.

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  35. Hi Gary..While checking out your blog, I noticed this post on the Evening Grosbeak.
    Interesting to note the connection to there presence with the spruce bud worm!!
    Up until approximately 15 years ago they where a constant at the feeder ,and as you said in large numbers that would clean you out in no time!! : }
    They just disappeared from my area. I wonder if this had any connection to the spruce bud worm!!
    I do hear of sightings in the far Northern Part of the state!!
    Interesting post and nice photo's!!

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  36. To grammie g:I know that the province of Nova Scotia bird site said that after spraying for spruce worm, the grosbecks virtually disappeared. Spraying is only done as a last resort here I think. Thanks for the visit.

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