Our neighbor, Mel Moe, called this morning to report that a male Yellow Grosbeak, only rarely seen in the US, visited water in his yard early today. He sent these photos of the event. Mel lives in New Mexico along State Line Road, and enjoyed the singular experience of seeing this striking bird in two states, when it left his yard and flew into Arizona.
If Mel finds the bird again, he will let us know, although the habitat in his yard is not ideal for holding this species. Howell and Webb (Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico etc) describe its habitat as deciduous forest, scrubby woodland, thorn forest, and fruiting trees. This bird got the thorns right.
Meanwhile, birders in the Portal-Rodeo area should watch for this avian celebrity––Alan and I are certainly going to watch our apricot trees!
