Subject: [Tweeters] Lazuli Bunting in yard
Date: May 18 10:43:53 2009
From: Joseph V Higbee - jvhigbee at hotmail.com


Being such a nice afternoon I set up the camera to photograph the birds in the yard yesterday. Just after getting it on the tripod and ready to go, I noticed something partially hidden in the creek. I focused on it and almost as soon as I saw it was a Lazuli Bunting I started shooting. I must have been vibrating from excitement because the first few pictures were quite blurry but I did get one in focus just before it flew off like a bullet headed north, never to return. I thought I caught a glimpse of one a couple years ago but was never sure and Patrick Sullivan said he heard one in the distance on one of his visits, so I've been wishing and waiting.

This has been a banner year for Purple Finch in the yard. So much so that I didn't even take any pictures of them yesterday. The Western Tanagers are here in numbers now and a couple of beautiful plumaged ones posed nicely. The Black-headed Grosbeaks weren't so cooperative but I did catch one ruffled individual in the creek. Lots of American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin and Rufous Hummingbird activity in the yard also.

The LAZB brings my list of photographed yardbirds to 70.

http://www.pbase.com/jvhigbee/gallery/c_current

Joseph Higbee
Spanaway, WA
mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com