Caught a glimpse of a male Blue Grosbeak in the rain at Mid Pines Rd. in Raleigh N.C. early this morning.
These lovely blue birds are relatives of another brightly colored familiar backyard favorite, the Northern Cardinal. Both species belong to the subfamilies Cardinalinae, of the finch family (Fringillidae), which is the largest of all North American bird families.

They are fond of insects, seeds and berries alike and can be enticed to visit your own yard by providing black oil sunflower seed and canary seed in your feeders.
If you’d like to go the extra mile to attract these gorgeous birds, plant shrubs and fruit bearing trees in your yard too!

Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds