Painted Buntings

[Maestro]

Yeah! One of my absolute favorite birds!!!! I was out trying to get more dickcissels singing since this weekend was basically cloudy except for the very last part of the day yesterday. Anyhow, I headed over to an area that has been good birding for me for the past two years. It was a private ranch so I had no access to it, but some "wonderful" develpers opened it up, put roads in and then the economy tanked. It has sat idle for the past two years. I say all of this to explain the background of these shots. It is a curb. I know, blech! :rolleyes However, the area is basically open fields with wonderful tall oaks and mesquite trees. I happened to catch several teams of workers mowing the fields so the birds were going crazy catching insects, especially the flycatchers, western kingbirds and scissor tailed ones. But three painted buntings caught my attention feeding on the seeds from the cut grass and weeds. I so wanted a different background and nice perch, but that wasn't happening. The eating was too easy in the street. :D I am definitely heading back after work to see if I can find it again.

Picking off the seeds...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/maestros/Nature/Small%20Birds/PaintedBunting3.jpg

Wondering what all the noise is....it's the scissor tailed flycatchers. They were extremely loud chattering and talking to each other.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/maestros/Nature/Small%20Birds/PaintedBunting1.jpg

Still eating wondering when the camera guy will leave. :wink
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v116/maestros/Nature/Small%20Birds/PaintedBunting2.jpg

More to come hopefully....

[Ric Grupe]

That definitely is one cool bird, Stephen.

Sometimes we need to make our own background.:wink

Good luck.:D

[Maestro]

That definitly is one cool bird, Stephen.

Sometimes we need to make our own background.:wink

Good luck.:D

Not as talented as you my friend. :D Thanks for the comment. :thumb

[Harryb]

Beautiful colors Stephen. :thumb

[Maestro]

Beautiful colors Stephen. :thumb.

Thanks Harry. I am determined to get better pics this year.