Indigo Bunting male at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, beanbag, f10, 1/400, ISO 400, Canon RF 100-500mm at 500mm, natural light
I haven’t found buntings to be easy to approach this year at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge so I was happy this male Indigo Bunting stayed put for a few frames.
I took the photo early in July. When I spotted the male Indigo Bunting, he had just landed on a shrub next to the auto tour route at the refuge. He didn’t sing, but he did stick around so I could take about eight photos of him.
This breeding season, that is about seven longer than most of the Indigo Buntings I’ve had in my viewfinder. I’m not sure why they have been so skittish, but it has been frustrating for me.
I could wish he had been a bit closer, or that the shrub he was on looked better, I was simply glad he was there long enough to get a sharp photo of him.
Usually by this time of the year, the buntings have finished incubating and the young have fledged or are getting ready to. I haven’t seen any young buntings so far. I do hope to. They can be a little more cooperative than the adults at times.
It has been very hot the past couple of weeks, and I haven’t gotten out into the field as much as I would like. The long-range forecast does show some days in the low to mid-90s. Hopefully I’ll be able to get out, have some sun, and cooperative birds during that time.
That would be both wonderful and lovely. I’m needing my nature fixes to happen more frequently.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Indigo Bunting photos plus facts and information about this species.
Yes, getting out daily was curtailed for us too due to the 90+ °F heat for 8 days this month.
Good capture of the bunting’s blue, so hard to see sometimes!