[birding] E.E. Wilson bunting

[rich armstrong]

1. see my message below about this weird bunting that joel geier found 
yesterday.
2. the 6 pictures that you get by clicking on the following link were taken 
with a little camera through a scope at 50 feet. light was pretty good, but 
branches are in the way. nanette is not a great photographer and does not 
have a great camera for this - but these are better than nothing and 
hopefully these are worth something. i am interested in comments from the 
excellent birders in oregon.
http://s65.photobucket.com/albums/h202/nyarmstrong/birds/?track=share_email_album_view_click
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rich armstrong" <richarmstrong at comcast.net>
To: "corvbird" <list at midvalleybirding.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 11:02 AM
Subject: E.E. Wilson bunting


> 1. nanette & i went out to e e wilson at 930 and after about 20 minutes of 
> goldfinches and barn swallows, the BUNTING showed up right where joel sent 
> us. it actually posed reasonably for us about 50 feet into the private 
> area north of the fence. it then flew down behind a bush in the cattails.
> 2. i did take my scope, and nanette did take her camera, and she did get a 
> bunch of pictures that hopefully will show something. we will figure out 
> how to get them to someone.
> 3. definitely a splotchy bird. now 1st i must point out that we are not 
> close to the skill level of joel geier, so take these comments for what 
> they are worth - not a lot.
>    a. the chest was mostly brown but had a belly area that was quite 
> blue - i don't think lazuli would have blue on the belly in any plumage?
>    b. we saw no wing bars.
>    c. the browns of the throat and chest and back were darker brown which 
> i think leans more to indigo
> 4. i have no clue what a hybrid would look like.
> 5. so we think it is not a lazuli, but we hope the pictures will be 
> definitive to the experts. nanette has to work at school but hopefully she 
> will get them loaded up late afternoon.
> Rich Armstrong
> 541-753-1978
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Joel Geier" <joel.geier at peak.org>
> To: "MidValley Birds" <list at midvalleybirding.org>; "Oregon Birders OnLine"
> <obol at oregonbirdwatch.org>
> Sent: Monday, September 07, 2009 9:04 PM
> Subject: [birding] E.E. Wilson bunting
>
>
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> Sorry for the multiple postings while my multiple scattered trains of
>> thought gradually converge on an ID here, but ...
>>
>> First, it seems that the blue patches on this bird make it an
>> after-hatch-year male.
>>
>> After looking through all of the online images that I could find based
>> on searches on various combinations of the words "indigo lazuli bunting
>> molting hybrid" etc., it seems that there ought to be at least some
>> visible trace of a pale wingbar or two, on an after-hatch-year, hybrid
>> Indigo x Lazuli Bunting.
>>
>> Or is it just that hybrids/backcrosses are only recognized when there is
>> some trace of wing bars? Seems like this discussion comes up a lot when
>> eastern birders are hoping for a Lazuli Bunting, so maybe there is some
>> circumstantial selection toward birds that show wing bars.
>>
>> This one was such a motley-looking bird, it was hard even to describe
>> and the yellowjacket feasting on my foot didn't help. It would be nice
>> if someone could get a photograph tomorrow for better diagnosis. I might
>> give it a try but the equipment I have at hand is not really up to the
>> purpose.
>>
>> The location again is straight north of E.E. Wilson HQ, after you cross
>> the canal, then turn right just before the fence on the south side of
>> the area that's closed to the public. Walk out about 200 ft to where
>> this fence crosses a ditch with cattails, then look north.
>>
>> Happy birding,
>> Joel
>>
>> P.S. We were back out there to pick plums this evening but didn't see
>> the bunting. We did hear about 30 or so SWAINSON'S THRUSHES calling from
>> just about everywhere, as it got close to dusk.
>>
>> P.P.S. For Sandy -- sorry, after sweeping up all of those Blackpoll &
>> Magnolia Warblers I neglected to take a photo, before mailing the whole
>> box in to the OBRC. Hope it gets there soon, I hear the weather is
>> getting warm again. ;)
>>
>> --
>> Joel Geier
>> Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
>>
>>
>>
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>