Hi,

I just saw a bird which I'm presuming was a LAZULI or INDIGO BUNTING
in the County Park just over the Hood Canal Bridge (Cross from Kitsap,
turn first right, and immediately right again). Size and shape etc.
were mostly fine, but:
a) it is obviously late,
b) it had only one very thin pale wingbar with no other paler edges.
c) It was also moving like a Palm Warbler (almost continuously in
motion with lots of tail action)
d) it was perhaps a little bit small/ lightweight

Any thoughts?

Nigel Ball
Bainbridge Island
nball001 at msn.com


Description:

The relative lack of features and the active behavior were most
distinctive.

My field estimate of its size was slightly smaller than a Lincoln's
Sparrow. Overall color: buff.

Head moderately rounded, uniform buffish with a thin indistinct pale
eye-ring. No streaking, facial stripes or distinctively paler chin. No
obvious crest. Eye moderate size/ proportion. Bill 'seed-eating' but
not very rounded and about half the relative proportion of nearby
house finches. The bill appeared to be grayish and pinkish. Breast and
belly were only slightly paler than the upperparts.

The back and scaps were notably warm buff (as in Buff-breasted
Flycatcher) and again unmarked. The greater coverts were a duller buff
(but not as dark as illustrations in the field guides) and were edged
cream forming a single thin pale distinct wingbar.

The flight feathers and alula (?) were colder brown. The primaries
reached to about the end of the upper tail coverts and were relatively
pointed. The wing was also relatively pointed on the basis of the long
primary extension. The flight feathers appeared to be unmarked.

The uppertail coverts might have been grayer. The tail was moderately
long and distinctively forked. The tail appeared to be perhaps just
slightly darker and less brown than the primaries. I couldn't persuade
myself that the tail had a bluish tinge.

The bird was horizontal for >95% of the time, even when perched
momentarily in the open. It kept below 5 feet, and moved through both
thick and open vegetation. The tail was flicked up, spread, and moved
from side to side. The bird moved its body from side to side like a
warbler does. I didn't see it feed.