Birding from Bed

As I lie awake in bed on spring mornings, I listen to, and can identify many of the birds by their songs and calls:  The insistent chew chew chew chew of the cardinal, the warbling trill of the house wren, "match, match, match, pleaaase turn on the tea kettle" from the song sparrow, and the "weep" of the great crested flycatcher.

This morning I awoke much earlier than I would have liked and normally I would have turned over and tried for more sleep had I not glanced out my window.  Just outside my bedroom is a large sweet gum, its branches occupying much of my view. But it was movement in a very distant oak that caught my eye.  There seemed to be a lot of activity in the large tree whose leaves are barely open.  By chance, my binoculars were within reach so I picked them up despite feeling fairly certain that the birds were too far off to identify by sight.  As I scanned the branches I saw a bird flitting about amongst the limbs. I focused in as best I could through window and screen and caught a flash of bright magenta. It was a fleeting glimpse so I didn't know for sure whether I was imagining the color.  Although holding my binoculars above me while on my back was becoming more uncomfortable, I scanned the tree again and soon saw a bird of similar size fly from a branch and noted its large white rump patch. A deep pink breast and a large white rump; I was viewing handsome rose-breasted grosbeaks feeding among the tiny leaves and dangling flowers of the oak.  What a lovely start to the morning and the month of May!