The Elusive Indigo

Have you ever gone on a trip and thought this would a perfect trip or day if...? Well Mary and I have wanted a photograph of an Indigo Bunting for a couple of years now, and earlier this year we decided this would be a great birding year if we could get that elusive Indigo Bunting. Some birders keep lists of birds they see every year and others have a life list. We just keep adding to our bird photos.

I have one other picture of an Indigo, but it was too contrived to my liking. Some one said if you come to my house at supper time you should see one; and I did, but it was sort of like taking a picture at the zoo. Where was the thrill of the the hunt or the fun of a surprise sighting?

We saw this one on the lamp post in our own front yard. Mary hollered from our sun room to get the camera there is an Indigo Bunting out front. I jumped up and shot this photo before he flew off. We have only seen 1 Indigo at our house before and that was quite a few years ago. I am pretty sure this bird was migrating south for a warmer winter. This shot was taken a few weeks ago, but the very next day we did see a couple of Indigos in a field, which is their preferred habitat.

Did you know that an Indigo Bunting is actually black? It is what I have been told by people who know much more than I do about birds; which is almost anybody. Yes they are black but their feathers reflect the indigo coloring that we see.

The other bird in the photo is an "L.B.J."; a Little Brown Job. I am sure it is a sparrow but I cannot tell what kind; there are so many kinds and they all look pretty similar. Care to venture a guess? This winter we will be after the "sneaky" Snowy Owl.