The Mystery Bird

Railroad

Routinely Derailed
We have some finch feeders on a pole about 6 ft. from our dining room window. We love watching the smaller birds come and go. This morning, shortly after the rain quit, my wife uttered a gasp and called me quickly to the window. On one of the perches was a brilliant blue bird - almost solid blue, with a little bit of black on the leading edges of its wings and the lower 2/3 of its tail. It's slightly larger than a goldfinch, primarily because it has a longer tail.

We consulted our Audubon guide and narrowed it down to one bird (The Mountain Bluebird) pretty quickly.....or so we thought until we found out that it's a native of the Pacific Northwest! :yikes: On the same page as the Mountain Bluebird, there were two birds (Indigo Bunting and Eastern Bluebird) that looked similar to it, but not nearly enough to be examples of the bird we saw this morning.

Naturally, the batteries are dead in my camera...:ohwell:
 

PrepH4U

New Member
Railroad said:
We have some finch feeders on a pole about 6 ft. from our dining room window. We love watching the smaller birds come and go. This morning, shortly after the rain quit, my wife uttered a gasp and called me quickly to the window. On one of the perches was a brilliant blue bird - almost solid blue, with a little bit of black on the leading edges of its wings and the lower 2/3 of its tail. It's slightly larger than a goldfinch, primarily because it has a longer tail.

We consulted our Audubon guide and narrowed it down to one bird (The Mountain Bluebird) pretty quickly.....or so we thought until we found out that it's a native of the Pacific Northwest! :yikes: On the same page as the Mountain Bluebird, there were two birds (Indigo Bunting and Eastern Bluebird) that looked similar to it, but not nearly enough to be examples of the bird we saw this morning.

Naturally, the batteries are dead in my camera...:ohwell:
I bet it is an Indigo Bunting, was his blue almost an off shade of aqua? They come up from florida and he will arrive first to make a home for a female. I had them last summer. They are awesome to watch.
 

Mikeinsmd

New Member
Is this it??
 

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snuzzy

New Member
The purple martin is Calvert County's official bird. It has dark purplish blue feathers. Could that be your bird?
 

Mikeinsmd

New Member
snuzzy said:
The purple martin is Calvert County's official bird. It has dark purplish blue feathers. Could that be your bird?
Not likely....
 

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Railroad

Routinely Derailed
Thanks for your help, folks!! Indigo Bunting it is!! We now have at least 3 in the yard. My neighbor is going to make a couple of birdhouses (sounds like he needs to make 3) and he'll install them on trees in his yard and mine.
 

FancyBelle

I'm 2 old 2 die young!
I had one last week and thought I was losing it! So should I put out a birdhouse for him, or will he make his own nest? I want to keep him around.
 

Railroad

Routinely Derailed
FancyBelle said:
I had one last week and thought I was losing it! So should I put out a birdhouse for him, or will he make his own nest? I want to keep him around.
My neighbor says he needs a birdhouse with a 1" hole - just big enough for the little bird, no predators.
 

Pete

Repete
I have a huge "bird condo" something has enlarged the holes. Looks like they were chewed or something.
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Very pretty! I've seen a couple of the indigo buntings in the area but none on my property. :frown:

I did have a pair of summer tanagers nesting around my house last year. Very scarce, but beautiful birds. :yay:
 
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johnjrval424

New Member
Do you know what habitat they are attracted to?

I would love to have some different birds visit my feeders - I have the tufted titmouses, a couple cardinals, lots of chickadees and the occasional Blue Jay.

My house is surrounded by woodlands. Maybe this isn't their preferred area?

I have sunflower seeds and suet feeders as food outside for them. Should I offer something different?
 
johnjrval424 said:
Do you know what habitat they are attracted to?

I would love to have some different birds visit my feeders - I have the tufted titmouses, a couple cardinals, lots of chickadees and the occasional Blue Jay.

My house is surrounded by woodlands. Maybe this isn't their preferred area?

I have sunflower seeds and suet feeders as food outside for them. Should I offer something different?
Try some thistle and some regular small seed. We get wood peckers, finches, blue birds, doves, chickadees and a few others. Oh, and my favorite, the goldfinch.
 

johnjrval424

New Member
desertrat said:
Try some thistle and some regular small seed. We get wood peckers, finches, blue birds, doves, chickadees and a few others. Oh, and my favorite, the goldfinch.

I should have included the goldfinches in my previous listing. We have many, many of those (especially in the spring). I will have to try some thistle seeds and see what else I can attract.

When you say, "small seed," are you referring to the generic blend that you find in the grocery stores (millet, I think it's called?) or something else?
 

RoMary

New Member
try safflower

johnjrval424 said:
I should have included the goldfinches in my previous listing. We have many, many of those (especially in the spring). I will have to try some thistle seeds and see what else I can attract.

When you say, "small seed," are you referring to the generic blend that you find in the grocery stores (millet, I think it's called?) or something else?

to attract more birds
 
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