Again we had a winter visitor migrating north, and again he looked a little strange in a flowering Gumbo-Limbo tree. In the US Southeast we see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks only during migration, so I associate the species with cool weather. However, the bird in the picture visited on a day when the temperature rose well over 100° (38°). What an amazing thing that these little birds not only fly across the Gulf of Mexico, but also survive the extreme weather changes they encounter on arrival.

I heard this bird's loud, sharp PEEK! call before I saw him. He seemed to be craning his neck, trying to find the source of the sound made by my water faucet as I filled a bucket.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks winter from Mexico to Peru.