For the Birds: Evening grosbeaks on the move

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Chris Bosak

Mike Quinn of Ticonderoga, N.Y. had these evening grosbeaks visit recently (December 2025.)

There is a thing in birding called a “spark bird.”

It is not a species of bird like a bluebird, mockingbird or blackbird, but rather the type of bird that piqued (or sparked) someone’s interest in birding and got them hooked. For many people, it is something big or colorful, like a loon or eagle or Baltimore oriole or great blue heron.

Because I have to be different, my spark bird is actually a moose. Yes, I know a moose is not a bird, but my quest to see a moose in the Vermont woods led me to my love of birdwatching.

There is also a thing in birding called a “nemesis bird.” Again, it is not a species of bird, but rather a bird that always seems to elude a birder. For instance, I see dozens of owl photos and read dozens of owl reports on Facebook and elsewhere on the internet, but I rarely see owls myself. I see the very occasional barred owl, but that’s about it.

I also have a nemesis feeder bird. It’s the evening grosbeak, a large yellow, white and black finch with a stocky bill. It’s not that the evening grosbeak is a common feeder bird in New England, but they do venture throughout New England enough, particularly in the winter, that in all my years of feeding birds, I figure I would have seen them at least once.

I have seen them a few times in the wild in northern New Hampshire, but never at my feeders. I’ve hosted siskins, purple finches, red-breasted nuthatches, indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and a few warbler species, but never an evening grosbeak.

Evening grosbeaks are part of the Winter Finch Forecast, an annual prediction (based on food supply up north) of what birds may be heading south. Birds such as siskins, redpolls, crossbills, and grosbeaks visit New England sporadically in winter, and the people who run the Winter Finch Forecast try to predict each fall which birds to look out for in the winter.

This year’s forecast called for a strong irruption of several bird finch species. An irruption is when a species of bird visits New England and points south in higher than usual numbers in the winter. The evening grosbeak is one of those birds.

Although I haven’t seen any yet this year (of course), I have received several reports of people seeing evening grosbeaks at their feeders. Mike Quinn, an old friend I’ve known since the mid-1970s, sent me a text recently asking if I could identify a bird that was at his feeder. Naturally, it was a pair of evening grosbeaks. Mike lives in Ticonderoga, N.Y., near the Vermont border. His feeder cam photo accompanies this column.

Moira from western Maine also sent in a photo of an evening grosbeak pair at her feeder. Susan from Nelson, N.H., emailed to say she had six to eight evening grosbeaks visiting daily for about a week. She added that it’s been about 10 years since she last saw them. Her grosbeaks were eating sunflower seeds and nyjer.

But it doesn’t end there. Gene from Plymouth, N.H., had an evening grosbeak at his feeder and noted “the most striking thing was the brilliant yellow stripe above the eye.” Phil Brown, the compiler for the Keene Christmas Bird Count, noted that birders found two evening grosbeaks on count day, which was held on December 14.

Evening grosbeaks are out there this winter and perhaps heading your way. Watch those feeders for stocky yellow birds vaguely reminiscent of overgrown goldfinches. If they do arrive, drop me a line and let me know. Then send them my way.

For the Birds: Winter finches starting to come around

Posted on December 20, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – Red-breasted nuthatch in New England, December 2025.

I wrote about the winter finch forecast a few weeks ago. The annual forecast predicts which and how many finches will irrupt into New England from the north each winter. An irruption occurs when birds that are not typically seen in an area appear, sometimes in great numbers, during the winter.

Food, of course, is the main driver of these irruptions. If the seeds of a bird species’ diet are scarce up north, the birds will come south to find a food source.

Just like hawk watches are not restricted to hawks but include eagles, falcons and vultures, the winter finch forecast is not restricted to finches. In addition to purple finches, siskins and redpolls, the forecast includes birds such as evening grosbeaks, red-breasted nuthatches and even blue jays.

So far, I’ve seen two of the birds highlighted by the winter finch forecast. A lone red-breasted nuthatch has visited my feeder for several days now. I’ve also seen a few purple finches “in the wild” on my walks. I’ve seen blue jays too, of course, but they are probably the same ones that visited my feeders year-round.

The red-breasted nuthatch is the first one to visit my feeders in about five years. Some parts of New England are flush with red-breasted nuthatches, and in some parts the white-breasted nuthatch is the dominant nuthatch. I live where white-breasted nuthatches are commonplace and red-breasted nuthatches are cause for great excitement.

There is really no confusing the two nuthatches. Even though the white-breasted nuthatch is a relatively small songbird, it is still noticeably larger than the diminutive red-breasted nuthatch. Both birds have blue-gray backs with their undersides matching their names. The white-breasted nuthatch has a white face and black head that looks to me like a mullet. The red-breasted nuthatch has a black eye stripe. If anything, the red-breasted nuthatch is more likely to be confused with a black-capped chickadee.

As you might imagine, the “yank, yank, yank” call and song of the white-breasted nuthatch is lower in pitch than the red-breasted’s. To me anyway, the red-breasted nuthatch sometimes sounds like the Roadrunner of cartoon fame. The sounds of the red-breasted nuthatch are often ubiquitous in the New England woods, although they can be difficult to find because of the leaf cover and their small size.

Last year I saw three purple finches, two females and one male, in the same park all throughout winter. This year I’ve seen three purple finches, perhaps the same three, in that same park. My first sighting was late November. Hopefully, they will remain there all winter again. It’s a sight to behold to see a male purple finch perched on a branch as a steady snow falls around him.

As for the other finches, it’s been a while since I’ve seen any of them. Siskins invaded my feeders about eight years ago, but nothing since then. Redpolls have been even longer. Evening grosbeaks? The next time one visits my feeders will be the first. I’ve seen them in the wild on occasion, but even that has been a long while.

I have received a few emails, mostly from the Lakes Region, from people who have seen evening grosbeaks this fall, so maybe this will be my year.

Enough about me, though. Drop me a line and let me know what you’ve been seeing at your feeders or in the woods.

For the Birds: Winter birding surprises

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak
An eastern bluebird braves a New England winter and visit a backyard for mealworms, winter 2020.

The calendar may not show it yet, but in the New England bird world, we’ve officially entered what could be called winter birding season. The vast majority of southbound migrants have left, and the birds we get to enjoy for the next couple of months are either trusty year-round residents or northern visitors who have traveled as far south as they intend to go.

Winter is, of course, the prime time when juncos and white-throated sparrows are found in high numbers. My personal favorite part of winter birdwatching is tracking down different species of ducks. That is, if you can find some open water.

Beyond the usual suspects, like chickadees, cardinals, titmice and nuthatches, there are some other fascinating aspects of winter birdwatching. One is the possibility of a finch irruption. I wrote in a previous column about the winter finch forecast and how it could be a strong year for birds like pine siskins and redpolls to be on the move.

An irruption is when species that aren’t typically seen here, or only a few of them, suddenly appear in certain areas in higher-than-usual numbers. Lately, I’ve been seeing social media posts and hearing other reports about evening grosbeak sightings, so be sure to keep an eye out for those striking yellow birds.

Winter birding also means seeing birds that may be unexpected in the cold months. American robins are known as harbingers of spring, but many stay with us all winter in New England. They may not be the same robins that nested with us in spring and summer, but rather ones that nested farther north and have come here for a “warm” winter. Robins tend to be seen in large flocks during the winter, particularly when there are berries to be had.

Cedar waxwings are another bird species not always thought of when it comes to winter birding in New England, but it’s always a treat when you stumble across a flock. Keep an eye on any berry sources, as they give you your best shot at finding waxwings.

Similarly, eastern bluebirds are often found in winter, though many people don’t think of them as cold-weather birds. While some do migrate, others will remain with us all the way through spring.

For species like the bluebird, robin, and even some great blue herons and hawks, it comes down to the lesser of two risky choices. Stick out a New England winter, enduring tough conditions with the possibility of freezing or starving, or fly south and risk the innumerable dangers involved with migration.

I’m thankful for the ones that choose to stick around and keep us company throughout the long months here in New England. Maintaining feeders is one way to help birds make it through the winter. Cleaning out and leaving up birdhouses is another way to help out, as some birds, like chickadees, will huddle inside the shelter away from the wind and other elements. Keeping a heated birdbath is also an excellent way to help out and see birds during the winter.

Birding is rarely cut and dry. Do bluebirds migrate? Yes. Do they all migrate? No. There are many exceptions to a lot of long-held beliefs about birds. The hobby is full of surprises, even when the winter landscape looks so bleak and lifeless.

Just a few larks

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak A horned lark at a Connecticut beach, February 2025.

I came across these horned larks during a recent walk along a beach in southern Connecticut the other week. Larks and buntings are often seen during the winter along the Long Island Sound coast. I’m yet to get a quality photo of one with its “horns” raised. Until then, enjoy these photos.

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For the Birds: Icy conditions good for photography, not so much for birds

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak Black-capped chickadee perches on an icy branch, February 2025.

Every so often in New England, everything is covered in ice. I’m not talking about lakes and rivers freezing or icicles dangling from the edge of roofs. I’m talking about when literally everything outside is covered in ice. Every branch, every leaf, every pine needle, every blade of grass is sheathed in its own covering of ice.

It doesn’t happen often. Sometimes it’s once or twice a winter. Sometimes it’s once every couple of years. The conditions have to be just right.

The other week, the conditions were just right. A near-freezing rain fell hard in the evening, and, when the temperature dropped just a bit after the sun went down, it turned into freezing rain. By morning, everything was ice, including a slick covering on the remaining snow.

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For the Birds: Flushing a Cooper’s hawk will get the heart pumping

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak Adult Cooper’s hawk seen in Norwalk, Connecticut, January 2025.

I was walking along a short but windy trail in southern New England the other day in search of overwintering warblers. This short path is known for harboring these tiny songbirds during the winter, as it is adjacent to a water treatment center that features open water on even the coldest days.

I came around one of the many bends and jumped back as I flushed a large bird that was on the ground next to the trail. With my heart racing from the surprise, my immediate reaction was that it was a ruffed grouse. It flushed with the familiar exuberance and noise of a grouse, so my mind immediately went there. Ruffed grouse, however, do not live in that area of New England any longer, and the habitat wasn’t right for the popular game bird.

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A few weekend surprises

Posted on January 5, 2025 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – An eastern bluebird gets a drink from a birdbath in New England, January 2025.

I had a nice bird walk this weekend and found 24 species in the bitter cold. When I got home, I was treated to a surprise eastern bluebird sighting in the yard. Below, a winter wren was one of the highlights of the walk.

Photo by Chris Bosak – Winter wren in New England, January 2025.

Christmas Bird Count 2024 photo highlights

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak – A merlin at Taylor Farm in Norwalk, CT, December 2024.

Photo by Chris Bosak – A pine warbler at the esplanade in Norwalk, December 2024.

On Sunday (December 22, 2024), I participated, as usual, in the Christmas Bird Count and covered my usual area of coastal Norwalk (SW Connecticut). Instead of my usual birding partner Frank, I covered the area with Adam and Jo. It was 13 degrees when we started and didn’t seem to get much warmer as the day went on. In fact, the wind picked up and made it seem even colder. The things we do for the birds.

We had a successful day with plenty of highlights, including bald eagle, peregrine falcon, merlin, pipit, pine warbler, yellow-rumped warblerf and both types of kinglet.

Here are some photo highlights of the day:

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For the Birds: Good times, bad times …

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Chris Bosak

Photo by Chris Bosak — A northern cardinal and red-bellied woodpecker share a feeding station in New England.

For those who feed birds, it seems that there are slow times, busy times, and routine times.

It can be disconcerting and frustrating during the slow times. You glance out of the window hoping to see a few birds to lift your spirits or to just appreciate a bit of nature during the day, and nothing is there. It can be worrisome because the thought often arises as to whether or not the lack of birds indicates that something is wrong with bird populations.

Populations of many bird species, of course, are indeed in decline. But a slow period at the feeder is typically not an indication of a broader concern. There are certain times of the year when birdfeeders go through a slow period. Seasonal fluctuations are normal. We are perhaps going through one of those fluctuations now as I’ve received a few emails recently wondering why the birds have suddenly stopped visiting.

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