Still Enjoying my Buntings

January 30, 2012 - I feel so lucky to play host to Painted Buntings during the winter.  Each time I look out and see them at my feeders I still feel a surge of surprise and delight.  We've had at least these three birds for the past couple of months.  I see two greenies…... Read more

Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting at the Circle B Bar Reserve!

December 3, 2011 - I got up to the tree where the owls/woodpeckers/ducks nested last year, and I walked right past a male Painted Bunting!... Bird Species List (37 total): American Coot, American Goldfinch (heard), American Kestrel, Anhinga, Bald Eagle, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican, Common Gallinule, Common Yellowthroat, Cooper's Hawk,…... Read more

Painted Bunting

Another First: TWO Male Painted Buntings!

November 2, 2011 - I was pouting on Friday morning because the rain kept me from going to the Circle B Bar Reserve for a sunrise shoot.  But if I hadn't stayed home, I wouldn't have seen the TWO male Painted Buntings that visited our yard together!  I checked back in my records, and…... Read more

Painted Bunting

Our Painted Buntings are Back!!!

October 17, 2011 - Last year I was thrilled to play host to a small flock of Painted Buntings during the winter months.... If you see Painteds across Florida this winter, consider reporting them to the Painted Bunting Observer Team, a citizen science group that studies these birds.... Read more

Painted Bunting

Ornithology 101

September 6, 2011 - The really pretty ones are the painted buntings.  For some reason, the people get really excited when these guys come in the wintertime.  Our mommy spent hours with her camera looking out the window with me last winter.  You know, Whiskey, I can teach you all about birds in one…... Read more

More Antics from the Painted Buntings

April 15, 2011 - We continue to play host to a little group of Painted Buntings in the backyard.  They've been here since December, and it's going to be sad when they leave!  We haven't seen a male in a few nights, but we usually see between three and six "greenies" in the evenings. …... Read more

It’s a Boy!!

April 7, 2011 - The male Painted Bunting has been coming to our backyard regularly for the past few days.  We see him around 6:00 each evening -- his clock is almost as regular as Goldy's!!... Male Painted Bunting I confirmed tonight that one of my little green birds is actually a little boy. …... Read more

Painted Bunting Party!

April 4, 2011 - The Painted Buntings held a little party in the backyard tonight.  Previously I've only seen four little green birds together.  Tonight there were five, joined by the first male bird we've seen in about a month!  It was such fun to watch them hopping around the yard, sampling millet at…... Read more

Painted Buntings Continue in our Yard

March 17, 2011 - We have at least four green Painted Buntings that continue in our yard!  I still can't tell if they are females or juveniles.  But I keep having to refill the bunting feeder!  They love the viburnum hedges.  You can see them flitting in and out of the hedges all day…... Read more

More Backyard Painted Buntings

March 5, 2011 - Being outside with our Painted Buntings was a lot of fun.  I watched them diving into the viburnum hedge and the grapefruit tree, then hopping out onto the feeder to eat.  The House Finches also figured out how to get into that feeder.  I think the little birds enjoy having…... Read more

Painted Bunting Cage

February 19, 2011 - I've had some questions about the little cage shown in my Painted Bunting pictures.... Here's a little video of a green (female or juvenile) Painted Bunting chowing down on breakfast, then flitting away through the cage bars.... Read more

Nice Afternoon with the Painted Buntings

February 4, 2011 - The Painted Buntings were around all day.... Painted Buntings I was worried that the buntings wouldn't care for the cage around the millet feeder, but I know that our "piggie" blackbirds would gobble the millet right down if they had access to the feeder.... (And watching the grackle land on…... Read more

Painted Bunting Update

February 2, 2011 - The Painted Buntings continue to visit our front feeder on a daily basis.  This weekend we had a record number of three green buntings visiting at the same time.  Look carefully at the picture below and you'll see two birds on the feeder and one on the branch in the…... Read more

Our Painted Buntings are Still Here!

January 16, 2011 - We have a small group of Painted Buntings who have been visiting our feeders for about a month now.  I've been reporting them to the Painted Bunting Observation Team (PBOT) at paintedbuntings.org, a team that has been studying the expanding range of these beautiful birds.  We feel so lucky to…... Read more

Painted Bunting Party!!

January 2, 2011 - It was a nasty overcast morning and I was a little disappointed not to be out birding...until the birdie party came to me!  Rich and I have been observing Painted Buntings at our feeders all throughout our Christmas break, but only one bird at a time.  This morning I looked…... Read more

Painted Bunting

Male Painted Bunting in OUR Yard!

December 30, 2010 - Today a male Painted Bunting came to the feeder!!!  We didn't see the female, but the male stayed for a while and ate.  He seemed pretty skittish.... Painted Bunting Now I'm spoiled...and I want to see a male and female together...and for them to bring their friends!... Read more

Painted Bunting

An Early Christmas Present: a Painted Bunting!

December 24, 2010 - On the first day of Christmas, Nature gave to me...a Painted Bunting in our front tree!... Painted Bunting This the fourth day we've observed her at our feeder.  I wonder if she was coming before that, and we just weren't home to see.  She's pretty regular in her schedule, usually…... Read more

Painted Bunting

The Painted Bunting was Back!!

December 21, 2010 - We spotted a female Painted Bunting at a tube feeder in our front yard this afternoon around 5pm.  It may be the same bird as we saw two days ago.  Painted Buntings are fairly rare winter visitors in Florida and it's really exciting to see one in our own yard! …... Read more

Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting in our Yard!!!

December 19, 2010 - This afternoon we had a Painted Bunting in our yard!  I was up taking pictures of Bow Tie, our Yellow-throated Warbler.  I blinked, and suddenly Bow Tie jumped off the feeder and a female Painted Bunting jumped on!  She sat there for a few seconds and let me snap a…... Read more

Painted Bunting

Painted Buntings

April 16, 2010 - My telephoto lens confirmed my suspicion: we had a painted bunting in the backyard!  At first glance it looks like a female, but upon closer inspection I noticed blue highlights, and I realized I had a juvenile bird just beginning to molt into his adult plumage.  Poor thing, he was…... Read more

Bird-watching at Oakland Nature Preserve

January 13, 2008 - Birds Seen Today - Painted Bunting, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Black and White Warbler, American Kestrel, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Gray Catbird, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Pheobe, Osprey, Blue Jay, Cardinal, Red-Wing Blackbird Red-Shouldered Hawk Great Blue Heron Yellow-Rumped Warbler Yellow-Throated Warbler Downy…... Read more