Family Day with Evening Grosbeaks

Ilya and I spent Family Day with a beautiful flock of Evening Grosbeaks in Maple Ridge today. These birds are declining and are now listed as a species of special concern under COSEWIC in Canada. Since the 1970's these birds have experienced 77-90% declines across their range. They are mostly declining due to loss of their habitat (mature and old-growth forests), road collisions (when they feed on grit in winter) and window strikes. 

 They are truly one of my most favorite birds; a large and beautiful finch. Any bird that is yellow is always cool in my books. Yellow is just such a happy colour!. It took a lot of patience in the cold to get these photos but it was worth every minute.

 Simple things like sharing these special moments in birding with those you care about make it so memorable.

Evening Grosbeaks in Maple Ridge - Photos: Melissa Hafting

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 17, 2020 at 8:47 PM

    Lovely photos that capture their physical beauty and personality and I love their fat bills! Sounds like a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LonelytravellerFebruary 18, 2020 at 6:16 AM

    Stunning photos!

    ReplyDelete
  3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/134270033@N06/February 18, 2020 at 8:25 AM

    great shots Mel
    often wonder why we don't see that many out west
    At times in Ontario they used to be one of the more common feeder birds

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingFebruary 18, 2020 at 10:10 AM

      thanks jody. it seems us humans are just continuously destroying the natural world with climate change and deforestation. they are a beautiful bird that plays an important role in the ecosystem and it would be a shame for us to lose them completely .

      Delete
  4. Beauty of Wild BirdsMarch 2, 2020 at 2:14 PM

    great shots

    ReplyDelete

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