Peekaboo, bird.

A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak watches us from a maple tree near the back deck and bird feeders. My husband was cooking dinner on the grill – a delicious chicken and sausage paella on the new Kamado Joe, in fact.

Some birds were bold enough to come to the feeders when we were a few feet away…

A couple of dauntless downies, males, on either side of a cake of suet.

The grosbeak repositioned to the top of the blackberry arbor, but wouldn’t come closer for her dinner until we went inside.

These chunky birds use their stout bills to eat seeds, fruit, and insects. They are also frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders, where they eat sunflower seeds with abandon.

There have been a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks visiting for a few weeks this summer, probably nesting nearby. I notice the male at the feeder much more often, but maybe because his flashy red and white chest makes him much more noticeable.