The Feeder Feed: “Am I blue?”

Everyday seems to bring a surprise and a newcomer.

Behold: Passerina cyanea.

Indigo Bunting

Indy is wary.  But he really likes millet.  A few days ago I filled a long empty canister feeder with millet hoping to catch the first arrivals and keep them in the area.  My fingers are crossed.  I hope he brought the gals along.

I haven’t gotten a good shot of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds which have returned in force.  The Battle of Britain had nothing on the dogfights these critters have.  Also, the Orioles are hanging on to the window frame near the hummer feeder.

Were the Z-Cam working, you would have a pretty good view of some great colors.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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8 Comments

  1. trad catholic mom says:

    oh he is pretty. I saw a juvenile cardinal on my fence the other day.

  2. frjim4321 says:

    My favorite bird!

  3. nanetteclaret says:

    Father,
    It’s interesting to see the birds that are just arriving at your feeders. The hummingbirds and buntings arrived here in Northeast Texas around the 1st of April. Evidently, it takes a month to get from here to there. The hummingbirds will stay here until October 1st, at which time I quit feeding them to encourage them to be on their way south.

    I fill my feeders with a mixture of hen scratch from the feed store and sunflower seeds, 3 cups of henscratch to 1 cup of sunflower. All the birds seem to like it. We’ve got buntings (indigo and painted), cardinals, nuthatches, tufted titmice, carolina chickadees, blue grosbeaks, rose-breasted grosbeaks (which usually don’t stay here so they must have been on their way up north), and summer tanagers. Even the woodpeckers come to the feeders and pick out what they like. Whatever they drop on the ground, the doves and squirrels will eat, so nothing really goes to waste.

  4. benedetta says:

    Pulling up Duke Ellington Mood Indigo now..

  5. wanda says:

    How beautiful is Mr. Indigo. Many years ago I saw one, I didn’t notice it until it stepped from the shade into the sun. He almost glowed, he was gorgeous. Thank again for sharing the lovely birds and I hope ZCam/computer will be able to be resuscitated.

  6. fieldsparrow says:

    Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing. I really love seeing the birds.

  7. I like the bird pics. They are very instructive as well as entertaining. I hope the Z-cam gets fixed soon.

  8. frjim4321 says:

    I read once in a bird book that the Indigo Buntings are not technically blue. There is not a blue pigment in their feathers. However, there is something about the feathers that makes them reflect only the blue light . . . more like a spectral thing than a pigmentation thing. I don’t know how that works, but I know they are beautiful. They are my most favorite of all birds. I find them to be very shy and skittish. Along the Towpath where I run there is a little enclave of them. How I love to see them dart across the path!

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