# Indigo bunting or blue grosbeak?



## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

We live in a small city with maybe 100 acres of dunes and woods next to our neighborhood.

These blue colored birds showed up this week. We thought maybe there’s a nesting pair but two that look exactly the same have been hitting our feeder that has the cheap, big bag, bird seed.

Are they indigo buntings or blue grosbeaks. As you can see they’re almost a tiny bit smaller than a house sparrow.

Couple of our other visitors this morning, too.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Attached is the high resolution image that can’t be posted in the text of this response due to size.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

It in the tree. Large file attached. Smaller image posted in this response.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)




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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

These thieves contentedly are from the spilled seed while I was close enough to step on them. The moment I’d step away they’d be on the feeder in a flash.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Based on their size and black wing feathers I’m guessing indigo bunting.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Hopefully they return tonight when the sun will be in back.


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## cedartool-fishinfool (May 26, 2005)

Indigo Bunting, as for the yard rats, I use a 5 gal. bucket 1/2 to 2/3 full of water and sprinkle sunflower seeds enough to cover water.
They can't resist, hop on edge and see all those free seeds and take the death plunge.
Catch mice, chippy's and red squirrels.
Sometimes the red squirrels can climb out so I cut a bucket in half and put the top part of bucket in for an extension.
Works great.


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## Downsea (Apr 12, 2005)

I haven't seen an indigo bunting for 15 years! Cool, Thanks for the pics!
hahahha my wife as a passion for those "yard rats"! I leave them alone so I can watch her get all pissed and shoot "in their direction" with her BB pistol! hahahaha She will just about freak out with chipmunks!


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

I believe I had an indigo bunting at the feeder the other day and thought it may have been a small blue bird.
I have gotten 7 chippies so far this sprint and usually get around 20 per year. They can do a lot of damage.


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> View attachment 533537
> We live in a small city with maybe 100 acres of dunes and woods next to our neighborhood.
> 
> These blue colored birds showed up this week. We thought maybe there’s a nesting pair but two that look exactly the same have been hitting our feeder that has the cheap, big bag, bird seed.
> ...


A Blue Grosbeak has chestnut colored wing bars and a stouter beak and is not usually seen this far north.
I have my first ever Buntings this year as well.


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

wpmisport said:


> I believe I had an indigo bunting at the feeder the other day and thought it may have been a small blue bird.
> I have gotten 7 chippies so far this sprint and usually get around 20 per year. They can do a lot of damage.


The chippies and the red squirrels keep me deadly accurate with the 22.


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## toto (Feb 16, 2000)

Yep Bunting for sure, had one the other day on our feeder. My wife and I were just talking about all the birds we've had this year, pretty cool. Had an Oriole show up yesterday, hummingbirds are back, and a couple of Groesbeaks. Just cool to watch. As for chippies and red squirrels, my wife is getting pretty good with the .22. Don't like doing it, but they can tear stuff up.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Cropped in.

hope they stick around for a while


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## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

Nice pics. We had some indigos the first summer we moved in. We haven’t seen them for years now, despite habitat work. They must have liked it the way it was.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

We have at least 4 visiting the feeder. When I took this photo there was also one on the feeder. I don’t know if they turn so blue after leaving the nest but it seems like they’re nesting nearby.


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## RDS-1025 (Dec 1, 2008)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> We have at least 4 visiting the feeder. When I took this photo there was also one on the feeder. I don’t know if they turn so blue after leaving the nest but it seems like they’re nesting nearby.
> View attachment 534083


The deep blue is the males breeding coloration.
Those all look to be breeding males. I would tend to think you likely have some females around somewhere.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)




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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)




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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Here’s the best pic with the full uncropped image attached if anyone wants to zoom in. The cropped photo above is a tiny bit blurry. 

This has been a treat.


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## fanrwing (Jul 31, 2010)

MEL said:


> Biden :yikes::coco::yikes::coco:





OH-YEAH!!! said:


> View attachment 534091













They must be moving through the area. We are just east of GR and 2 or 3 buntings have been here all day. Last year about this time they were here for about 4 days then we're gone.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> View attachment 534099
> View attachment 534101
> View attachment 534103


Very cool! I can't recall ever seeing one.


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## loonypier (Aug 1, 2015)

Im seeing more chipmunks this year. What damage do they cause?


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## fanrwing (Jul 31, 2010)

loonypier said:


> Im seeing more chipmunks this year. What damage do they cause?










They will wreck havoc with your feeders, will grab as much feed as they can and hide it. They will tunnel under walks and patios and if they get in the garage or a shed they can cause serious damage chewing through stuff. Chipmunks, think designer rats.


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