The last two spring migrations have been rather dismal when it comes to special visitors to my backyard, so I was very excited to see an Indigo Bunting show up the other day. They are very camera shy, so I have to be sneaky about capturing photos of these gorgeous birds–even from inside the house.
May is our rainiest month so it’s often cloudy or rainy when they drop in for the day making it harder to see their brilliant blue color. Usually it’s just one or two birds, but in 2018 a large group of Indigo Buntings showed up in my backyard all at once and spent the afternoon at the feeders. What a thrill! Needless to say, I didn’t get much accomplished that day.
Of all the migrating birds, they seem to stay the shortest amount of time. Many of the birds are visiting our yards because they’ve traveled a long distance and need a resting spot with ample food and water before moving on. Perhaps the buntings shift to insects more quickly than the other birds—sometimes I do hear them singing even after they’ve stopped showing up at my feeders.
I may only get to enjoy these gorgeous birds for a day, or sometimes even for just a few moments when they show up in my backyard during spring migration, but it’s always worth the wait.