Photo of the Week: Irruption Year for Evening Grosbeaks

Brilliant yellow, black, and white bird with large whitish bill pauses in the green grass while feeding.

If you’re in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York, you may soon see a striking black, yellow, and white bird a little smaller than an American Robin at your feeders.

Evening Grosbeaks are moving south this year, with dozens of birders reporting them this week in southeastern and central Michigan.

We haven’t seen any at our feeders (yet), but I hope we will soon! Continue reading Photo of the Week: Irruption Year for Evening Grosbeaks

Photo of the Week: Black Vulture in Michigan

large gray-faced, black bird perches on fence post looking over the pond.

The first time I saw a Black Vulture was on Florida’s Atlantic Coast on the way to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to see my nemesis bird, the Painted Bunting. The Black Vulture is common in southeastern United States, where they can be found year-round. I’ve seen them in southern Ohio in the past few… Continue reading Photo of the Week: Black Vulture in Michigan

Photo of the Week: Purple Finch at Our Feeder

Raspberry-colored medium-sized bird perches on edge of green bird feeder.

“Wait a minute,” I said to my husband as I peered at the feeder in our side yard this weekend.

“That bird doesn’t look like the brown-colored House Finches.

It looks like it has a raspberry wash over it.”

And the other House Finches on the feeder didn’t seem very happy with it.

The raspberry-colored bird kept chasing the other birds away from the feeder. Continue reading Photo of the Week: Purple Finch at Our Feeder