CHE AUDUBON: BULLET EN 55 
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in Evanston 
Readers of Bird Lore no doubt perused with much interest Evelyn 
Campbell's account of “An Intimate Summer with Grosbeaks’ in the 
May-June number, 1931, as well as her added notes on “The Return of 
the Grosbeaks’ in the July-dugust issue. Mrs. Campbell has prepared 
for the Bulletin a brief resumé of the whole experience and has added a 
last chapter to this remarkable “true story” of her family gathering of 
Grosbeaks. 
Each year, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks had made occasional visits to our 
garden, so, when on May 4, 1930, a male was seen in a tree near the 
back porch, it was merely recorded as a first appearance for that season. 
A few days later a female appeared and soon they had discovered 
hanging nearby two seed cups containing sunflower seeds. “These seed 
cups were small wire baskets, suspended near the house, which had been 
provided for the Chickadees and other Winter birds. From that time 
on the seeds proved a great attraction and the number of birds increased 
to four males and three females. 
‘They were exceedingly tame and it was possible to walk very close 
to them and to fill one cup while a bird was feeding on the other, which 
was but a foot away. ‘The birds came early and very frequently through- 
out the day and fed until dusk, eating between two and three pounds of 
seed a week. 
During the fourth week of June a baby bird put in its appearance 
from somewhere and in two weeks’ time there were four young coming 
with the seven adults. By the end of August the adults had departed, 
but the young remained until September 27. 
The following Spring, 1931, we looked forward to the return of 
our Grosbeaks and the first week of May found five cups filled and 
awaiting their arrival. May 4, 5 and 6 and no Grosbeaks, but on May 7° 
we were thrilled to find a male on a cup and four days later there came 
a female. 
Two days later there were two males and two females and two days 
after that four males and three females were seen at one time. As their 
habits were the same as those of the birds the previous year and they were 
just as tame, we liked to think they were the same birds. 
On June 23, two blocks away I found a nest fifteen feet up in a 
pear tree and nearby in another tree a very young Grosbeak. 
July 4 a young one appeared in the yard, it being a week later than 
the first seen the year before. On the following day there were two 
young birds in the garden, and three days later four young were coming 
with the seven adults. August 7 there were 5 young making daily visits. 
