I noticed this bird in my back yard earlier, shot a few quick pictures but didn't have time to set up a tripod (hence the graininess - had to shoot at 800 ISO to get enough light at 1/620, which is about what it took for me to shoot steadily at 300mm). I'm not POSITIVE it's not a Bluebird, but the majority of images I come across for Bluebirds of all varieties don't appear to be terribly similar to this.
Anyways, anyone have any idea what this is?
Not a bluebird, looks like and Indigo Bunting, maybe a Blue Grosbeak.
(Darn where are my glasses?)
Either way; Congratulations; he's beautiful! I'm off to find my glasses.
This message was edited May 1, 2007 5:35 PM
Looks like the Indigo Bunting in my book, though I have not been fortunate to see either in person! Great pic!
No help from me in id'g. That is sure one pretty bird !
I think it's an indigo bunting. One, in the last couple of days, has started coming to my feeder. He seems to like the sunflower seeds. he is so beautiful and I sure do hope he keeps coming.
NOT a bluebird. I've seen a few indigo buntings and they were more vivid, almost iridescent, and less of a single solid color.
I think this is an Indigo Bunting theres no rusty top wing bars that I can see as on the Grosbeak.
NOT a bluebird. I've seen a few indigo buntings and they were more vivid, almost iridescent, and less of a single solid color.
That was taken through a window, by the way. I just used that one because he was the most revealed in the shot. Here's what it looked like without the window (though still at 800 ISO, so the picture quality is dismal):
This message was edited May 1, 2007 5:01 PM
This message was edited May 1, 2007 5:01 PM
Indigo Bunting say I,lol. Nice pic!
This message was edited May 1, 2007 6:21 PM
Nice looking Indigo minutemaid;,
I saw my first two here today....They must of just arrived....Saw them at the feeders this afternoon.... The hummers started arriving today also..In and out of the greenhouse....
I'm sitting here watching the grosbeaks and one of the indigo's at the feeders while typing..... And here come the cardinals....
...Dave
Thats quite a lineup Dave! Can't wait to see the pics.
minutemaid, much better color in the 2nd pic, surely an indigo bunting!
Yep, male Indigo Bunting.
Resin
im so glad to see this...i got a picture the other day...just not enough to post i didnt think...that is the bird i have seen for about a week....first time ever in my yard...very happy about that. The closest I got to a picture, was this. bird in the dead center...dont know if it will enlarge enough to see it at all. at least i know now what it was
I also live in Louisville and in the last two weeks started noticing this blue bird and did not know what it was so I googled blue bird and found these postings. Today I bet there were 12 of the males.......I think some of the females were around too. I have never seen these birds in the 20 years here! Glad to finally know what they are!
Nice photo, Minutemaid! I finally started seeing them again last week. I put out some wild finch feed, hoping to lure them in for some photos. They move around so fast that it's hard for me to get a good shot.
Ok, you folks in Louisville, could you please send a few across the river to Jeff? They'd be well taken care of, and I'd much appreciate it!! :)
We saw two of these last week, I tried and tried to get a decent picture but it just didn't get it.
I have a blue speck in three pictures, LOL
But I am excited anyway, and we have a Proteus (sp) warbler making a nest on the back porch of the other garage in a flower pot. Will/should be easy to get good pictures of that.
Susan
=^..^=
Oh I can't wait to see those pics Susan!
i just this same bird in my yard today my foto is much worse. I do not think it is an indigo bunting?
too light in plummage! im glad someone else saw one!
I ran across this site this morning - and have been reading up on a lot of different birds, etc ... great forums!!
Yesterday was the first time that we've had an Indigo Bunting @ our backyard feeders - he was eating thistle seed (from the finch feeder) - is that what they normally prefer? What a beautiful bird he is - I will try to get a photo uploaded sometime this week.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Welcome to the BW forum Chef!
I've heard the IB's also like the no waste mix;s that contain hulled sunflower seeds.
Hulled sunflower seeds seem to be what mine are eating. I bought some of the wild finch mix, with thistle seeds, and I never saw them at that feeder. They sure are beauties, glad you're getting them.
It's a blue Grossbeak. Indigo Buntings do not have any decoration.
I still think it's an Indigo Bunting, it looks just like the ones I have here.
Quoted from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Indigo_Bunting_dtl.html
Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Blue all over, deepest on head. Black in front of eyes. Occasionally with some brown on back, wing, breast, or under tail, or whitish on belly. Wing feathers dark, edged in blue. Upper bill blackish, lower mandible blue-gray.
Blue Grosbeak larger, with much thicker bill and obvious rufous wingbars
Yep, Indigo, as already stated . . . the 'decoration' is just grass flowers in front ;-)
Resin
Here's the photo of the IB we had at the feeder last week - so far this week, there has been no sighting of him ... hopefully we're just missing seeing him ... hope he's still nearby!
Very cute!
Here's a few more.
They just appeared in my yard this spring for the first time. They've been feeding underneath the feeders. I"ve seen them on May 10th & 17th.
Single one closeup.
Tioga, PA
Thats beautiful!
I wish they would visit me. Very nice pic!!
Here's a second photo of a trio of the buntings.
Again, taken on May 10th in Tioga, PA.
A larger photo to better see them.
Thanks, pelletory.
This is the fourth season since I first installed the feeders, but I'd never seen them before this.
They are pretty birds!
Are they mainly eating thistle? Great pics!
They are so beautiful! Send some my way! :)
Such beautiful birds! Thank you so much for sharing the pictures of them!
I believe I have a few of these little guys I can see from my patio as I look towards the park, but they never get close enough to see more than just a glimmer of the bright blue as they fly past.
pelletory, I haven't been close enough to see what seed they've been eating. I only saw them twice.
The first two photos were from May 10th.
I have two feeders they feed beneath. One contains sunflower seed, the other is a thistle feeder. There is a quite a bit of seed debris in the mulch on the ground.
I'll post three photos from May 17th. The first two photos show the bird with what appears to be sunflower seed in his beak.
On the other hand, I think I may be wrong.
If I zoom to 200% on the photo, then compare to the profile view in the third photo, I believe I'm actually seeing the lighter lower bill contrasting against the darker upper bill. This gives the illusion in the frontal shots that there is seed in his beak when there is in fact no visible seed.
The photos just aren't detailed enough to be certain.
I haven't seen them feeding from the feeders. There are so many goldfinches, house finches, and grosbeaks at the feeders that they are outnumbered.
This is the profile view. The color variation between the upper and lower bill is clear here.
Notice the sunflower seedlings at his feet. A lot of sunflower litter covers the mulch. Thankfully, the thistle doesn't sprout.
Really great pics soul!!
Thanks, pelletory. They're all taken from my front door window. Except for the goldfinches and house finches, most of my visitors are too skittish for me to take the photos outside.
The finches have gotten fairly used to me puttering around the feeders and working in the garden.
I got a new macro lens that I've been using a lot lately too in lieu of my zoom. The photo quality is better with the macro.
Ron
