In 1998 when our family moved to Concrete (Upper Skagit), we had
several male Lazuli Buntings (LB, not to be confused with LBB) fighting
over territory (our property). All summer long we saw a beautiful pair
of LBs foraging around our house, landing on garden fence posts,
clothes racks, nipping annual bluegrass from our driveway, etc. The
female could easily be mistaken for "just another LBB", but through
good binocs she is as beautiful as the male, just more subtle, like
brownish maroon with highlights of the males' orange and blue.

1999 LB pair back again, male singing on top of fir tree outside our
window all summer.

2000 See 1999.

2001 White-crowned sparrows took over said fir tree. Lazuli bunting
pair spotted in neighbor's brush pile just one time. However saw a
juvenile in said fir tree in August of same year.

2002 LB male singing at beginning of summer, but not seen again on our
property for rest of year. However, they showed up at a neighbor's (not
the ones with the brush pile) bird feeder. about 10 miles up river.
Unfortunately, due to deer mouse proliferation on our property, I was
talked into getting cat, who is still with us but skates on thin ice
often. However, neighbor with brush pile has had several cats since we
moved in.

2003 (see 2002)

2004 LB total no-show in our area. No neighbors saw them either.

2005 Early June LB singing in tree on our property one or two nights,
but not seen or heard from for rest of summer. My daughter claimed to
have seen one perched on post or flying by at least 3 times before LB
song. A visitor from Darrington claimed to have seen one there June 6
(night after I heard singing).

Looks like they come through, but don't stay. What gives? Anybody know
where they end up (or if)?

Mary Pat