Photos and Blog By Sally M. Harris

It’s hard to predict when and where flocks of Evening Grosbeaks will show up, but for the fifth winter in a row, they’ve come back to Sequim. They breed in the north, in mountain conifers, and have an erratic flight pattern during migration in search of food. Yet a few stay here year-round. Evening Grosbeaks are members of the finch family, and the male is easy to spot with his bold colors of yellow, black and white. These chunky, big-billed finches wander broadly in winter, descending on bird feeders in noisy flocks to eat huge amounts of sunflower seeds.

Evening Grosbeaks are a delight. They remind you of the tropics, are gentle-natured and appear tolerant of human presence. You often hear Grosbeaks before you see them, gathering high in a tree, chattering and chirping. They’re not in a hurry to get to the feeders; they’re waiting for the rest of the flock to arrive before they make their move. Finally, they send a “scout” down to make sure it’s cool to descend. Then it’s chaos at the feeder; everyone comes at once, piling on top of each other, and grabbing seeds. Soon, seed shells are flying in the air like snow. Other kinds of birds just stand aside as these seed-cracking machines devour the food. The sheer number and camaraderie of an Evening Grosbeak flock makes a big statement in the backyard bird zone.

Evening Grosbeak female by Sally M. Harris

Sally M. Harris is an award-winning nature photographer. To see more of her impressive collection of images, go to www.sallyharrisphotos.com .