Painted Bunting (female)

Many of our avian friends live deep in the woods and only venture out now and again to find food.  The Gray Catbird is one of the birds in our copse that find solitude and safety in the deep recesses between the thick brush and the tall pines, coming out only once in a while to snatch a raisin or a piece of coconut from our feeders.  During our winter months, (November through February), we have a small flock of Painted Buntings that come to visit and stock up on thistle seed, (niger) and millet, so that they are ready for their trek back up north in early March or April.

Today seemed to be female Painted Bunting day.  They were there, as usual, following the Northern Cardinals to the feeder.  At times it seemed like there were only Painted Buntings and Northern Cardinals in the area.  As many as four female Painted Buntings were on the feeders at one time, picking up seeds as fast as their little beaks could grab them.  When any other birds flew near the feeder or attempted to light upon it, they flew off  to a nearby branch only to again return when the interloper left.

I've found you learn a lot about a particular species if you are patient enough.  The female Painted Bunting in it's greenish yellow 'garb' blends in quite well with the environment and is only seen if it wants to be.  If it sits, stock still on a branch or even on the ground, it is almost invisible.  I suspect that this is why the male of the species is always deep in the background, low in the underbrush.  He doesn't blend in nearly as well as his partner.  With his bright colors of purple, red and yellow, he is almost sure to attract attention.  It's understandable why he hides, (though I wish he wouldn't).

Mrs. Painted Bunting is feisty and somewhat attitudinal!  She has no problem coming to a feeder with many other birds on it and she refused to relinquish her spot to someone else.  She will also sit on a feeder alone and announce to the world with a "chip, chip" that she has arrived.  Even a pushy Mourning Dove is no match for this little lady!

If there are any more days like today, I will have filled my yearly quota of female Painted Bunting photographs.  They seemed to be everywhere and they were clearly more intent on eating than noticing me snapping picture after picture.  It's a good thing too or they wouldn't have eaten at all!

I will again be out there tomorrow morning and it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if they came back!!