So blue...

I had a most excellent 3 mile walk this morning and although the birds were less visible than I'd hoped, seeing this gorgeous Indigo Bunting at eye level made up for the lack of other birds.  Usually when I see these splendid birds, they are up high in the canopy of the trees, but this one was feeding on seed heads along the trail.  The image is heavily cropped as he wasn't that close, but the colors are true.  These colorful birds arrive each spring to set up a breeding territory, returning to Central America in the fall.  I rarely see them in my yard as they aren't really feeder birds, although they will occasionally show up at my nyjer feeder in the spring.  This fellow is still in his glorious breeding plumage but he'll soon molt into his more drab winter wardrobe.  

I saw loads of rabbits, a fleeting glimpse of a small mink (probably a youngster) and deer as well as maybe 20 species of birds.  That's a fairly low count for this location, but still quite satisfying.  Lots of Yellow Warblers still along the trail, but they'll soon be leaving for their wintering grounds - they are one of the first to arrive but also one of the first to leave.  

Back on the Lane, things are quiet in the bluebird box - Madame has laid her 3 eggs and monitors the nest periodically during the day.  Should be about a week to hatch.  So far, the wrens are leaving the nest alone, fingers crossed.  At least one of the Brown Thrasher youngsters is still around - I saw it preening up in the trees in the early morning sun today.  And more hummingbirds are starting to appear now - mostly juveniles and a few rather haggard looking females.  P-Hummie is doing his courtship flights for everyone, chattering up a storm and probably driving them all crazy.  The backyard wren seems to have lost yet another potential mate.  They were both building a nest in one of the boxes in the back and now the little dude is all alone, singing his heart out.  I don't know what to think about that - I think he's found and lost 3 mates this summer which has to be some sort of record.  

I posted 5 other shots on Flickr - another of this handsome bunting, q willow flycatcher, a juvenile yellow warbler, a floppy rabbit, and a dancing hummer.  Click HERE to view

Thank you so very much for all the favorites and stars on my dragons yesterday!  And for those who commented on the background - it was a pond filled with lily pads which made a lovely bokeh in the photo.  Lucky me.  

We are off on a little adventure tomorrow, so I will probably blip early.  Stay tuned...

Debbi