A horde of Evening Grosbeaks has been present here for over a month, but only one female remained yesterday morning. Suspect she was sick and didn't leave with the rest.
We'd taken to feeding the Evening Grosbeaks black-oil sunflower seed spread on the ground at a number of alternate cleared locations back under the Dougfir. We'd been hearing them earlier but only a couple would come to the yard to check out our two-perch feeder suitable for the larger birds. The ground feeding worked and we went through two 40# pounds of sunflower seed during May. We were hoping to pull-in a passing Rose-breasted Grosbeak pair, but didn't see them. Many years ago they dropped in to check on the noisily feeding Evening Grosbeaks, only to find no room at the feeder. I have a new strategy for them. Maybe next year.
---John & L.S. Allinger
jonymike at pacifier daught kom
Hockinson, Clark, Washington