The freeze Susan refers to was more than just killing buds--it was an ice
storm that left as much as an inch of ice formed around all branches,
grass, etc. Birds were not able to reach food or water. It hit, as Susan
said, right at the peak of Rose-breasted Grosbeak migration.
To my knowledge (limited), that was the first year that the grosbeaks came
in to feeders in any great numbers. What I found most surprising was that
in subsequent years RBGRs continued to come to feeders, even though the
stressed conditions no longer existed. That behavior continues. I think
it is a great example of learned behavior and transfer to succeeding
generations.
Edge Wade
Columbia
<1edgewade...>
On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 8:03 PM Deepa Mohan <
<00000661e218c360-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> What a great post, Lisa! This is what birding is all about. The three
> B's....Birding, Birding, and Birding!
>
> I wish I could write about my birding experiences in Seattle, WA., where
> the combination of luck, chance, timing and my ignorance make for funny
> episodes....but I know very few people here, and I don't think anyone would
> be interested, in the Midwest!
>
> Meanwhile, a shout out to the MoBirds community, and the many patient
> guides and fellow Birders, who all truly set me on the path of birding in
> the US. A community which I still feel a part of. I still miss the Blue
> Jays and the Mockingbirds, leave alone the others!
>
> A special salute, of course, to Edge!
>
> Cheers, Deepa .
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 24, 2026, 17:14 Edge Wade <
> <00000631c0031214-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>
>> A classic example of what I call "The three Ps of Successful Birding"
>> (rather in the field or the yard):
>> Preparation, Patience, Persistence.
>>
>> Congrats, Lisa. "Good things come to those who wait"... and wait...and
>> wait. Or is that wail and wail and...
>>
>> Edge Wade
>> Columbia, MO
>> <1edgewade...>
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 24, 2026 at 6:02 PM Lisa Saffell <
>> <0000065c370fac8c-dmarc-request...> wrote:
>>
>>> The Great Rose-breasted Grosbeak Conspiracy
>>>
>>>
>>> By 10:00 AM I was convinced the entire states of Illinois and Missouri
>>> were gaslighting me.
>>>
>>>
>>> It was a rainy April morning, and apparently Illinois and Missouri had
>>> been designated a five-star resort for migrating Rose-breasted Grosbeaks,
>>> except for my backyard.
>>>
>>>
>>> I opened my email to:
>>>
>>> “AOR & RBGR showed at my feeders this morning to add welcome splashes of
>>> color and sound on a dreary looking day.”
>>>
>>>
>>> I opened Facebook to:
>>>
>>> “Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have arrived in St. Clair County”
>>>
>>> “Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are here!”
>>>
>>> “Didn’t get a picture, but I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on my feeder
>>> this morning! 😍”
>>>
>>>
>>> I looked out my window at my feeders. They were busy with the usual
>>> suspects. Bickering European Starlings, a sopping wet Blue Jay, cranky
>>> Cardinals, and vocal woodpeckers. Where were my Rose-breasted Grosbeaks?
>>>
>>>
>>> I checked my feeders. I checked them again. I stood at my window,
>>> clutching a mug of coffee, feeling like the unpopular kid in school who
>>> didn’t get invited to the "Rosy Party.”
>>>
>>>
>>> I left the house to go birding at Tower Grove Park. Everyone was
>>> talking about the Grosbeaks showing up at their feeders. Some had even
>>> spotted a few high up in the trees at Gaddy Garden. I still couldn’t find
>>> one. After an afternoon of birding I headed home and checked my feeders
>>> again. No Grosbeaks.
>>>
>>>
>>> By 3:00 PM, I was plotting. Do I need better sunflower seeds? Should I
>>> wear a red shirt? Maybe I should put out a sign that says "Grosbeaks
>>> Welcome: Free Buffet.”
>>>
>>>
>>> By 4:00 PM, I had officially entered the “bitter” phase of birding. I
>>> started composing a cynical Facebook post. Was I to become a sparrow
>>> feeding Hermit? Then my phone notified me that Haiku heard a new bird…..a
>>> Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I checked the feeders in the back and searched
>>> all around Hope Springs. No Grosbeak. I walked to the front and looked
>>> out the front door. With trembling hands I raised my binoculars and looked
>>> at the feeders in the front tree, and there on the middle feeder, sitting
>>> with an air of absolute superiority were two male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks!
>>>
>>>
>>> I did a quiet little happy dance that probably looked like a mix of the
>>> chicken dance and a frantic aerobics move from the 80s. I grabbed my camera
>>> and took a photo thinking to myself, now I finally get to post my own rosy
>>> update.
>>>
>>>
>>> #BirdingProblems #RosyDay”
>>>
>>>
>>> Lisa Saffell, St. Louis
>>>
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>>
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