Our first Evening Grosbeaks arrived a few days after I put up the feeders in our yard in Jefferson, NH, on November 18, 2025. Initially, there were only six, but their numbers grew each day, reaching into the forties by the end of November.
By mid-January 2026, I was regularly counting over a hundred Evening Grosbeaks sitting patiently in the maple trees while I filled the tray feeders. My highest count was 132 on February 17, 2026. This winter, the female-to-male sex ratio seemed to be around 60/40, although that is only an estimate.
A stunning leucistic bird appeared on January 30 and has been seen several times a week since then. Up to four Pine Grosbeaks also visited the feeders, but only after the large flock of Evening Grosbeaks departed in the afternoon. Other irruptive species at the feeders included about a dozen Pine Siskins and Purple Finches.
As of mid-March, I have used about 600 pounds of black-oil sunflower seeds, with a few weeks of feeding still to go. In addition to the seeds, the presence of a heated water source was very popular with the grosbeaks and other species.
Most of the Evening Grosbeaks will leave for the spruce-fur forests of Quebec and New Brunswick in late April to take advantage of the spruce budworm outbreak there.
All photos taken by David Govatski in Jefferson, NH.
Leucistic Evening Grosbeak by David Govatski.
Black dots in the window are Window Anti-Collision Tape made by Feather Friendly in Ontario. Zero collisions with windows this winter.
Pine Grosbeak by David Govatski.
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Winter 2025-26!
- An Eastern Bluebird Haven by Tara Brooks
- Where Does a Bald Eagle Drink When the Ice Freezes? by Iain MacLeod
- Northern Shrike Up Close and Personal by Lori Charron
- Evening Grosbeak Bonanza by David Govatski
- Common Murre at Odiorne by Diane Karstrap
- Winter Haiku by Jim Sparrell and Katherine Towler
- Backyard Ruffed Grouse by Elaine Faletra
- Fishing Drama on the Merrimack by Jim Sparrell
Want even more? Visit our “From the Field” page for more.