Tweeters...please accept a posting from Montana

We just returned from a hurried trip to Billings drawn there by a Saturday
e-mail that advised that Helen Carlson had been told that a Painted Bunting
(first in state) had been seen in a yard. We arrived about 1600, too late
to look for the bird, though Helen had seen it earlier in the day.

This morning we set out at 0800 to find the improbable finch. We joined a
group of about 10 chilly birders looking at a wind blown feeder and two
white-tail deer finishing their breakfast of feeder droppings. After 40
minutes or so some excited members of the group got our attention. We all
converged at the corner of the house and sure enough...PAINTED
BUNTING!...male, gorgeous plumage. The bird moved around the back yard
giving all (now no longer chilly) a good look at the little bright green,
red, and blue guy.

A neighbor told some of the group that it had been present all summer! It
has a good supply of food and lots of friends...Juncos, House Sparrows and
House Finches. I would guess he will stick around for a while. As long as
he can evade the marauding Sharp-shinned Hawk that sails through the yards
every hour or so.

We also bagged a bonus bird. Enroute to the bunting we stopped to
investigate a bird in the middle of the street. It was an EASTERN SCREECH
OWL that had killed a Starling and was having breakfast in the left turn
lane. One of us had to get out and throw the Starling off the road and
actuaally pick up! the owl before it would fly off to a nearby tree where
we got a great look at our first Montana Eastern Screech Owl.

A nice birding day in December and well worth the 500 mile round trip.

Mike & Connie Schwitters
Choteau MT
mailto:schwit at 3rivers.net