Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Cuttidad, who is just getting into birding, asked a few days ago, if I had ever seen a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. She has been reading her Illinois Bird Guidebook that I gave to her, since she put up some bird feeders and were getting birds she couldn't ID. She didn't know if they (Grosbeaks) would be in our area. I told her that I had only seen 1 once before, about 3 years ago.
I hoped that some day soon, we both would see one passing through.
As usual, I found a new path and headed in. Just a few yards from the entrance, a medium sized black and white streak flashed by me into the underbrush. I stopped and waited for a glimpse of what it was. I suspected a Red-headed Woodpecker. It took awhile, but then I could see through the bush and spotted the black head. Hmm....This is gonna be good! The anticipation for a new species was exciting!....Finally, I saw the rosy colored breast and that gave it away. I immediately thought of Cuttidad, and wished she could be here.





I took plenty of shots as it got comfortable with me and bounced from limb to limb.





I started walking down the path, when it seemed to follow me.



I took more shots, and seriously, I could have shot him all day, but he had another agenda and finally left me to my walk alone.