The photos of this male and female Grosbeak were taken last summer. I felt like posting them again as I'm anticipating their return soon to our log cabin. The Grosbeaks are one of my favorite birds which got me to thinking. (And also inspired from my blogger friend Wendy who loves to do Top 5 Polls!)
What are your Top 5 favorite birds? (I know it's hard, but you must have some preferences...) Mine are:
- Common Loon (no surprise here)
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Bald Eagle
- Blue Heron
- Common Redpoll (they won me over this winter by eating out of my hand!) tied with my Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
44 comments:
Gorgeous pictures.
Blessings,Ruth
Hi Shelley,
Cute birds and a good list of favorites. My Fav. Five are:
1. Eastern Bluebird
2. Indigo Bunting
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Northern Cardinal
5. Goldfinch
...nothing better than that flash of rosy red on his chest, but the female is just as pretty with the muted, soft belly feathers. I love them both, and they are Matty's 2nd favorite bird (recently displaced by the Prairie Chicken)!
I remember seeing my first Red Breasted Gros-beak when I lived in Ohio...I didn't know what it was and I just ran inside to get on the computer and started googling!!
My Top Five are:
1. Cardinals
2. Owls
3. Bald Eagle
4. Chickadee
5. Hummingbird
(That's todays list anyway!! wink wink!!!)
Hope your day was great!
Beth
Lovely grosbeak photos! Wow! Top 5 favorite birds? Very hard! Guess I'll cheat a little and narrow it down to birds in my neck of the woods of Alaska. The first three on my list hang around through our long winter and brave minus 40 and 50 degree temps, so just out of great admiration, they are first. The next two are spring and fall migrants, and their arrival is something to look forward to. No. 5's arrival in Fairbanks always heralds spring, so has to be included.
1. Black-capped Chickadee
2. Common Redpoll
3. Common Raven
4. Sandhill Crane
5. Canada Goose
Now, having picked those, I have to say that the Greater White-fronted Goose nearly edged out the Canada Goose. The quandry is I really just discovered them this week and I am intrigued with them at the moment, but I can't just dump my old friends for the new kid on the block. So, for today, my top 5 list will have to stand!
Oh that's so hard, Shelley.... My fav's change from week to week... BUT--right now, here's my fav's:
1. Bluebirds
2. Cardinals
3. Tufted Titmice
4. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (males)
5. Northern Flickers
But I can't forget my Carolina Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatch...AND---what about all of my other woodpeckers????? Yipes---I can't do this.
Hugs,
Betsy
I can't believe it took me so long to get here..........
......WOW!!!!!! You should have slapped me a long time ago.
I've got some catching up to do. it looks I will learn a lot from this blog.
Signed,
Glad I arrived. :D
1. hummingbirds-always and forever.
2. Blue bird-as of yesterday.
3. Titmouse-too cute
4. Chickadee-always faithful
5. Red-bellied woodpecker-beautiful
You have to remember that all my birding is done around the pond so it may seem strange.
1)white-breasted nuthatch
2)black-capped chickadee
3)ducks-mallards and wood ducks
4)herons-great blue and green
5)downy woodpeckers
The red colour on the belly is truely magnificent.
Top five...that's tough.
Goldfinch
Tufted titmouse
Carolina wren
Meadowlark
Bald Eagle
...saw this bird 2 days ago in my yard...very pretty.
I agree Shelley, they are gorgeous birds.
The female you captured look beautiful in that light.
Shelly: I would like to see one of those one day.
I am looking forward to see them too Shelley. Hmmmm... my favs:
1. Eastern Bluebird
2. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
3. Carolina Chickadee
4. Summer Tanager
5. Downy Woodpecker
When I first saw that shot of the RB grosbeak I thought you already had them at your feeders!!
Mine are;
1. hummingbird
2. bluebird
3. chickadee, dee, dee
4. ravens and crows (because they are so funny at times)
5. finches
Great captures Shelley.
Still thinking of a top 5, but I think my favourite over this side of the water, is a Pheasant, for the males beautiful colours.
Hi Shelley,
These two shots are gorgeous, especially the second one.
What are my 5 top favorite birds, that's hard to say, but ok if I have to choose it will be in this order:
1. The bohemian waxing
2. The harlequin duck
3. The red-throated diver (or loon)
4. The golden plover
5. The european bee-eater
This is hard, but I'll try.
-Chickadees
-Downy and hairy woodpeckers (I am cheating and grouping them together!)
-Barn swallows
-cardinals
-hummingbirds
And you know what? I really like turkey vultures! And wild turkeys!
And Shelley, go check out my friend's bird-related art/ceramics, posted on her blog today:
http://ronnas.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-inspired-ceramics.html
I think you'll like it!
I have yet to see a Rosebreasted Grosbeak - can't wait. They are beautiful indeed.
My 5 favorites:
1. Osprey
2. American Avocet
3. Black-capped Chickadee
4. Eastern Bluebird
5. Hooded Merganser
Five Shelley, Five! That is a tough but fun challenge....
Little old House Wren
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Summer Tanager
Phoebe
Bluebird
And of course hummers!
Ha ha ha! Thanks shelley, I am glad to see you do a top 5!
Not in any particular order -
Small birds-
1. Chic-a-dee
2. Cardinal
3. Titmouse
4. Nuthatch
5. Junco
Large birds
1. Loon
2. Osprey
3. Merganser
4. Blue Heron
5. White Egret
Was that cheating 'cause I did two lists?
Beautiful photos Shelley! My Fave Five:
1. Bald Eagle
2. Blue Heron
3. Lazulli Bunting
4. Grosbeaks
5. Great Horned Owls
Our's just returned or passed through this area yesterday and the day before. I hope it isn't over yet as it was totally cloudy and rainy both days and I was not able to get very good photos.
These photos of your's are beautiful.
Can't choose my top five. Like my favorite music, it changes from hour to hour. Topping the list would almost always be the chickadee.
The grosbeak is gorgeous!!
I find it hard to list only 5 favorite birds. I guess (in no particular order of loving them) are:
1. hummingbird
2. blue jay
3. doves
4. blue herons
5. any of the finches with color
6. Crap! I can only name five?
The Retirement Chronicles
INPO: Northern cardinal, Common raven, Turkey vulture, Barn swallow, Hermit thrush
I don't think I can choose 5 favorites. There are so many I don't see regularly that become my favorite when they arrive. I guess that my home birds are always my favorites and the others are lovely surprises. Chickadee, Titmouse, Wren, Cardinal, Downy and Red-Bellied woodpeckers (I cheated). But right now my favorites are Goldfinch, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo buntings, hummingbirds, and catbirds. Then there are the ones that I long to see...orioles, tanagers, snowy owl, yellow headed blackbird, loons, and warblers. And all the others that I had to leave out that I love!
The female Grosbeak photo looks gorgeous, superb details and excellent light!
I have never thought about a top 5 but the Kingfisher is categorically on top of it.
Beautiful photos Shelly!! I had one around here last summer but haven't seen any since. My favs are: Cardinals, BlueJays, Black-Capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse and the Nuthatch. But I love watching the hawks too!!
I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of our Grosbeaks as well...
Top Five:
1.Ruby-throated Hummingbird (because that's the only hummer we see here)
2. Northern Cardinal
3. Carolina Wren (my morning wake-up call)
4. Black-capped chickadee
5. The last one is always the most difficult to choose...
Cedar Waxwing
My apologies to all the birdies I didn't mention and love so dearly!
FAB colours on the male & the misses is pretty sharp too.
Top 5 impossible, top 50 easier..I'll sleep on it. Cheers FAB.
1) Eastern Bluebird-first bird I ever noticed2) Ruby Throated Hummingbird
3) Roseate Spoonbill
4) Great Egret
5) Brown Headed Nuthatch
6) Great Blue Heron
I had to do 6 because I had to include the Great Blue Heron....sorry!
Leedra’s Photos For FunLeedra’s Greeting CardsPhotography By Leedra
Such a gorgeous photo!
Great "Top 5" List :-) My top 5 are...
1. Sparrows ~ (I'm sure no one else will name them on their top 5 list but they have a special meaning to me):-}
2. Doves
3. Yellow Finch
4. Purple Finch
5. Red Cardinal
Shell, your Grosbeak photos are soooo beautiful they bring tears to my eyes.
I bookmarked your site for my MIL and she's enjoying your posts too. :D
Let's see:
1.Red Breasted Grosbeak - because of the vibrant colors and bird song.
2.Cardinal - the guards of the forest. When you are out for a walk, they let you know if you aren't alone.
3.Chickadees - always my friends. Love to hand feed them.
4.Common loon - what is a kayaking trip without hearing their enchanting call and seeing them grace the waters. What a silhouette!
5.Great Blue Heron - have a prehistoric feeling when I watch one fly over. They raise my eyebrows when I look out the window and see one in my backyard. :D Such a HUGE bird.
Hugs, JJ
Shelley, I love the quote you posted on my page. Thank you for sharing that.
Your photos are beautiful, and I love the grosbeaks as well, but only get to see them when we visit my in-laws in Wisconsin.
My top five are:
1. Eastern Bluebird
2. Black-capped Chickadee
3. Carolina wren
4. Northern (aka Baltimore)oriole
5. American Goldfinch
Not an easy question to answer, but for me it would be something like this:
1. Peregrine Falcon
2. Winter Wren
3. Black-throated Blue Warbler
4. Fox Sparrow
5. Swamp Sparrow
Of course, I difficulty naming a top 5 just in the sparrow family, let alone the rest of the birds!
Oh humm this is a tough one for me..
1. Red faced warbler
2. Blackburnian Warbler
3. Reddish Egret
4. Purple Gallinule
5. Red headed woodpecker
and all the other birdies in the whole wide world...LOL
Great idea, but that would be like asking me to chose my favorite child..;-) although some days it would be any of them that arn't mine... JUST KIDDING>>;-)
Gorgeous shots!
Thank you everyone for stopping by and letting me know your Top 5 birdies! It's interesting to see who looks what birds - (and it always makes me go - oh yes, I like that birdie too!)
Knatolee - thank you for that link!Her work is beautiful and I love the soft colors she uses.
Wendy - you're allowed to break the rules - you're the inventor of the bloggy Top 5! :-)
Stacy - LOL at your comment!
They are absolutely gorgeous. I love em.
You've got some beautiful images here, Shelly. It's always interesting for me to view birds from a different part of the country.
As for my personal favorites, I like the larger birds - egrets and herons, and perhaps osprey, for their smooth graceful flight. It is a joy to photograph them,and they are abundant here in the south.
Hi Shelley! Love your Grosbeak photos! My top 5 birds, in no particular order:
-Wood Thrush
-Eastern Phoebe
-Dark-eye Junco
-Cedar Waxwing
-Ruby-throated Hummingbird
... but really, I love them all! Have a good weekend! BTW, you listed a corn casserole recipe a little while back (can't remember which blog it was on!) and I just got around to trying it, and it was delish! Just wanted to say thanks for sharing it!
that's hard but I do love your common poll photos.
Shelley, not true! You know that the siskins have moved up to #1 on your list.
Guess who's on top of my list? :-)
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