05-28-2023, 01:03 PM
John, if your Rose-breasted Grosbeak remained in JT for long, a pair might have bred there. The female can be very dificult to distinguish from the female Black-headed Grosbeak
The male Rose-breasted continues here today. The dippers continue nest building, and the Scrub Jay moved on last week.
Other visitors to the yard are Band-tailed Pigeons. It is the largest pigeon in the US. This is our native mountain pigeon which nests primarily in open ponderosa pine forests. I see them in the spruce-fir forest around the cabin more often now that I've cleared trees for fire mitigation. Band-tailed are lovely, elegant birds, but very skittish. The patch of iridescent green feathers in the nape are amazing to see.
The male Rose-breasted continues here today. The dippers continue nest building, and the Scrub Jay moved on last week.
Other visitors to the yard are Band-tailed Pigeons. It is the largest pigeon in the US. This is our native mountain pigeon which nests primarily in open ponderosa pine forests. I see them in the spruce-fir forest around the cabin more often now that I've cleared trees for fire mitigation. Band-tailed are lovely, elegant birds, but very skittish. The patch of iridescent green feathers in the nape are amazing to see.