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The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a western bird, ranging from the Pacific to the middle of the Great Plains and from southwestern Canada to the mountains of Mexico. It is in the same group with finches and sparrows, whose conical bills are used to crack seeds. The males are flashy with black, white and cinnamon plumage; the less flashy females are very similar to the females of their eastern cousins, the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. The Black-Headed Grosbeak is migratory, spending its winters in Mexico and moving into the western U.S. in April and May, when they may be seen in landscaped areas of Four Seasons. By June, they are in the mountains around Four Seasons singing their rich warbling song that has been described as a "tipsy robin." Once the eggs are laid, mom and dad share the domestic duties: sitting on the eggs, feeding the young, and defending the home. Black-headed Grosbeaks eat pine and other seeds, berries, insects, and fruit, and during the summer months they eat mostly spiders, snails and insects. It is one of the few bird species that can safely eat the poisonous Monarch butterfly, which it devours in the Mexican wintering grounds it shares with the migratory butterfly. ~ Steve Edelman FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JUNE 2017 59 Birding CLUB Bird of the Month We welcome beginning and experienced birders to start or hone their bird identification skills. Our main activity is monthly bird walks along Four Seasons' beautiful nature trails, which follow native riparian woodlands and preserve endangered habitat. We also take field trips to local birding hot spots, discuss backyard bird feeding, and share information on unusual species and behaviors. Unseasonably cold wet weather arrived just in time for our bird walk on May 6, but a few hardy birders braved the weather and identified 14 species. During our bird walk we saw our first migrant warbler, a Yellow Warbler, which will stay the summer and breed in our riparian habitat. The warbler is a reminder that this is the time of year to look for spring migrants, such as the featured Black-Headed Grosbeak. We meet on the first Saturday of each month at 10 am in the RCN Lobby, talk about birding, then we go on our bird walk. We walk the nature trail from the Lodge to the Crooked Creek windmill and back (good exercise!). Bring your binoculars and bird identification guide, or just come to a meeting and ask about tips for beginners' birding gear. For more information and to receive club communications, email Steve Edelman at steve.h.edelman@gmail.com. ~ Steve Edelman The Black-Headed Grosbeak • Photo by Richard Crossley Basketball Everyone is welcome. We meet at the basketball court starting at 5 pm on Fridays. Bring your energy and be prepared to have some fun. ~ Richard Hoffman Four Seasons' birders out on a trail

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