26 September, 2011

Colorful Birds

This spring we were fortunate to have a number of Indigo Buntings pass through and make a stop at our bird feeders.   
Here is an English House Sparrow at the feeder with an Indigo Bunting.  The Bunting is somewhat smaller  than the  sparrow.
And then they hung around all summer long, a first for us.  


There were at least 3 adult males.  


I'm not sure how many of non-descript females were around.
I believe this is a female Indigo Bunting.
But I am not certain.
The females often have some blue on the wings, and I don't see any blue on this one.
The males are unmistakable with their nearly solid blue color.  The heads are often darker, almost purple.
Their nearest relative, the Lazuli Bunting, has a white belly and orange chest.  The Indigo Buntings breed in North America and winter in Central America.  We may see these birds or their relatives in Belize.
The cardinals are another colorful bird that show often at the feeders.
The Cardinals live here year round.  They sure can brighten up a dull winter day.


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10 comments:

  1. Indigo Buntings & Cardinals don`t look real, do they Wilma ? I know they are, but they look as if they just flown out of a fantasy novel.

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  2. wonderfull !!! very good... LG Ursa

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  3. Dean - their colors are pretty amazing.

    UrsaA - thank you.

    cheers,
    Wilma

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  4. Lovely shots Wilma, amazing birds as well.

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  5. Looks like you got a lot of colors at your feeders ;-) The indigo bunting is beautiful, much more than the cardinal ;-) I think ;-)

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  6. Such beautiful coloured birds, great images.

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  7. Thank you, Roy.

    Chris - the Indigo Bunting is like a jewel.

    Anthony - thank you. They are such a pleasure to see.

    thanks to all for visiting.

    cheers,
    Wilma

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  8. Hi Wilma.
    Your photo's of the Indigo Bunting are amazing, what a wonderfully coloured bird it is. The same goes for the Cardinal.

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  9. The Indigo Bunting is a real beauty.

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  10. Ken and John -they are always lovely to see and it was delightful to have them around all summer.

    thanks,
    Wilma

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