As I was doing dishes early this morning I heard a bird hit the window right in front of me. I am a softie for animals and nature, so I immediately wondered if the bird was okay.
I looked up from a window a moment later and much to my surprise, because I had not seen one for years, was a beautiful indigo bunting perched on the picnic table. He appeared to be admiring the 12 packages of roses that we had purchased (at a deep discount) yesterday!
I am even giggling at myself over this one, but do you think he was looking at the blue? Do you think he first thought he saw a flock of indigo buntings on the table?
I remember the first time I saw an indigo bunting. It was the bird that got me interested in novice bird watching, 10th grade biology. We had walked into the field behind our school, and then into a small wooded area. There he was, a beautiful indigo bunting perched high up in the tree. He was beautiful. The colors were striking.
Here is a little information on the indigo bunting, along with a photo that I borrowed (not a photo taken through a rain streaked window, ha):
- A brilliantly blue bird of old fields and roadsides, the Indigo Bunting prefers abandoned land to urban areas, intensely farmed areas, or deep forests. The Indigo Bunting migrates at night, using the stars for guidance. It learns its orientation to the night sky from its experience as a young bird observing the stars.
- The sequences of notes in Indigo Bunting songs are unique to local neighborhoods. Males a few hundred meters apart generally have different songs. Males on neighboring territories often have the same or nearly identical songs
Borrowed info from : http://www.allaboutbirds.com/
15 comments:
Interesting stuff, we've had cardinals hit our windows before because of their reflections in our windows though, we've had it happen at this house and the 1st house that I have ever lived in as well.
Beautiful! Just beautiful..had to be the blue! I have never seen an Indigo Bunting except in pictures...how fortunate for you, and what an interesting bird.
Maybe from the sky the blue appeared to be another bunting!
Kathy, isn't he gorgeous? I do think it was the blue. He sat at that same spot for quite a while. It was fascinating to see.
Amy, we have a lot of cardinals in our house as well. You have pine trees there too at Pine Pod Farm, I think. They love the evergreens.
Amy, cardinals at our house, not in. Tee hee!!! I really am having problems editing my own writing lately. :)
I couldn't help but comment... I'm a birder and these are just the sweetest little birds.
There are several areas in the US where people conduct nighttime studies on bird migration -- specifically migration and the moon. Many birders will set up their spotting scopes, or simply use their binoculars, during a time when the moon is present and they "count" the birds (during spring and fall migration times, of course). Some of these birders can actually tell the difference between species as well.
It was the Indigo that was used to do the most recent (through Cornell, I believe) study proving birds did indeed use the constellations for nighttime navigation.
Indigos nest in this part of the country (Indiana/midwest). The females are mostly brown.
thanks for sharing the photo!
lf
Mary...
I think your farsighted Indigo Bunting is hot for full-bodied ladies.
But gosh, he's a pretty guy. And you know how I have a soft spot in my heart for birds.
Hey... If we cross your Indidgo Bunting with one of our pretty bright red Cardinals, we can start a new species of Horny Purple Birds! We can name them "Garrets" for short!
Hi Mary
I love this story and wow this little bird looks so good.
Nice picture you made.
How are the goat?
Thank you for your lovely comments and concern.
Lots of soapfriend love
Georgette and Gioia
Great capture of a slightly befuddled indigo bunting! I have seen one indigo bunting in my life, about seven years ago, at the backyard feeder at our last house. Its colors literally took my breath away.
God rest his soul, my Daddy could ID every backyard bird that came along. Loved his wild birds and azalea's. :-) That indigo bunting is gorgeous, I've not seen any around here.
These birds are so pretty!
It's amazing how they navigate by the stars, like a sailer.
Isn't it wonderful what we learn when we do a little bit of writing and reading about a small topic?
They migrate by the constellations, fascinating.
One thing that my friend's hear me say during verbal conversations is, "We know so little about animals and nature. They know a lot, and have a lot of senses that we have inkling of." I truly believe that!
Ha! I forgot to say in my last response that the researchers / birders will watch the moon for the birds that fly in front of it... there is actually a video on YouTube where you can watch the birds fly past the moon... quite interesting!
That is amazing information!
The birders will watch for the moon, and know the identity of birds (in the light of the moon), wow!
Sounds nutty, I know. :)
Wonderful photo, Mary. I have never seen an indigo bunting in real life. Very interesting that it landed there by those blue plastic bags....your theory may just be correct.
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