[birding] indigo bunting

[rich armstrong]

1. 1st couple opinions and with doug robinson seeing the bird this morning 
it appears that the bird is indeed a male INDIGO BUNTING.
2. i forgot to note that the bird seems to have no tail, possibly weird molt 
or maybe a predator got it's tail? this could indicate the bird may stay 
around while it grows a tail?
3. joel has reposted directions and hopefully it will stay.
4. there is a corvallis audubon 1/2 day trip this saturday and if folks want 
to go to look for the bunting i could do that, or we could go to cabell and 
look for shorebirds.
Rich Armstrong
541-753-1978
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rich armstrong" <richarmstrong at comcast.net>
To: "corvbird" <list at midvalleybirding.org>; "OBOL"
<obol at oregonbirdwatch.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 6:26 PM
Subject: E.E. Wilson bunting


> 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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>>> http://midvalleybirding.org/mailman/listinfo/list
>>> http://oregonbirdwatch.org/pipermail/obol/
>>
>