American Redstart

I was mulling over whether to go with an EB of either a crown of thorns flower, or a giant leopard moth caterpillar when I heard a light bump on the window behind me. I looked out and saw a small bird circling around under the porch ceiling (it's an entirely open porch). I guess it hit the window - not hard enough to break anything, but enough to produce slight confusion. It's a female American Redstart. It landed on the wire trellis thing we have at one end of the porch for the Autumn Clematis to climb on. I looked at her again a moment ago and she was looking around - looking a lot brighter. And then I turned my back for a moment and when I turned to look again, she was gone. When I took this picture she was still stunned enough for me to walk out around to the end of the porch and stand right under her.

A redstart for me is not a usual yard bird. I've seen them on rare occasions, and they do breed in Virginia - but they're not feeder birds. Mostly when I've seen them it's been when I'm at the New River Birding & Nature Festival in West Virginia in the spring. So it was a treat to see this one. I hope she's okay.