A couple of immature rose-breasted grosbeaks came to my feeders to rest and refuel on their way south for the winter.
They are very pretty in their own right, although their full adult plumage is spectacular.
The females keep their more muted browns, streaky speckles and a more golden rosy look, while the males become boldly black and white with their distinctive red bib.
On this fellow, you can see the black and white starting to dominate his wings, although when he flies, the underside of the wings will flash pink feathers.
My father used to call rose-breasted grosbeaks "martini birds" because when he first saw one in flight, he thought it looked like a pinwheel spinning through the air and thought he'd maybe taken happy hour a bit too far and was hallucinating. He might, indeed, have taken happy hour too far, but they really do look like pinwheels when they fly.
2 comments:
Great pics ! I've never seen the immature r-bs at that stage; usually they've taken off from my feeders before they get those feathers. Thanks for the peek !
Hugs to ya, from BetsyLee
PS Where's the fall fungi pics? 'Tis the season, you know !
BetsyLee, I'm glad you liked the youngsters. I thought the muted colors were really pretty.
As for the mushrooms - since you asked, I'll get on downloading and preparing the pictures, but I am currently away from my reference books, so you might have to play the identification game again. :) Hugs right back to you!!
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