Birds on my Deck

I was so excited because I saw the female oriole, or A female oriole, at any rate, on my feeder thingy. She's lovely, and way more orangy than I would have expected from the picture in my book.

And as I was finishing taking a couple pictures of her (finished because she flew off), I saw another bird, a tiny, very blue bird. And through my mind ran "damn, that is one really blue bird." And then a long pause, before, "but not a Bluebird!" Not that Bluebirds aren't wonderful and loverly, but they don't come to the deck (probably because I don't put worms out for them). They're around, and there's a bluebird house down in the "prairie restoration area," but this was way more intensely blue.

So I took a picture (glad that I still had my camera in hand) through the screened window. I took a couple before I moved around for a better view, but it flew off (because my having a better view means they can see me, and I'm probably scary).

I'm pretty sure it's an Indigo Bunting. And if I had a life list, I'd be adding a new bird, because it's the first I've seen that I know of. It's been a good year for new birds in my yard!

And dang, can I just say that the picture does not do the intensity of the blue justice, not at all! (But you can see one of the soon to be color pots, when I get around to planting!)

I've also been seeing a Red-winged Blackbird pair on the deck; they seem to be down in the valley below the house mostly, but come up to check on the snacking possibilities.

It's all food all the time here at Chez Bardiac!