Some winters we have 100+ evening grosbeaks visit daily, some years we have none! When they do come, they stay for a couple of months and eat a LOT of seeds. We've only seen small numbers so far this year, which is unusual. Maybe they're just passing through. Or maybe their friends will show up shortly, in which case, we'll be doubling the seed bill!
If you're interested, here's some info from the Cornell birding site regarding their eating habits: "Though they’re ferocious seed-crackers in the wintertime, in summer Evening Grosbeaks eat insects such as spruce budworm, a serious forest pest. The grosbeaks are so adept at finding these tiny caterpillars that the birds often provide a first warning that a budworm outbreak has begun."
