Indigo Bunting?
That's the closest match I get based on color and size anyway.

Here is a link that might be useful: Indigo Bunting

Mighty pretty Donn!
Hey, where's your snow?
Gees the N'reaster gave us here, a few inches of rain, then when I got up this morning 30 mph winds and 3-4 inches snow.
Yet, Saturday it was 51degrees and I was able to expand a side of the veggie garden and start more lawn edging.

Donn..was his beak like a cardinal's? If so, it may have been a Blue Grosbeak, blown a little further north than his normal summer range. If his wings had rusty bars, then even more likely.

I only got a brief look, and when I went for the camera, he flew up to the cart handle.

I'm leaning toward Indigo Bunting, mostly because of his size.

I hope he comes back to the feeder. Next time I'll put the binoculars on him and get a good look.

It's an Indigo you lucky duck!!!! I've only seen two in my lifetime and find them to be the prettiest birds. I envy you!! (Can you tell I do some birdwatching too?)

Donn, How lucky you are. I have never seen any blue birds of any kinds before except our blue jays!

Penny

I watched and watched, all day, but he didn't come back.

I won't add him to the list until I get another sighting, and can confirm it.

Couldn't resist adding that we had at least three bluebirds out the window at work today to my surprise. Obviously blown up this way by the nor'easter. Not the lovely indigo bunting but a most welcome sign of spring nonetheless amidst all the drenching rain and flooding.

Ann

Donn, I'm going to go with indigo bunting too - mostly because the beak is yellow and on the grosbeak it is grey. check out www.enature.com and do a search on both the indigo bunting and blue grosbeak. they're close, but I think you'll be able to tell if you check the site for the pics. enature is one of the best websites I've found for ID's.

Barbi

Here is a link that might be useful: enature - indigo bunting

Very purdy. I have never seen a blue bird like that. Blue Jay, yeah. And some dark blue ones in MN a few years ago.

Aren't you the lucky one! What a pretty bird!

T

What a lovely surprise, Don. Several years ago we had an indigo bunting at our feeder which stayed around long enough that I was able to identify it with my field guide. Such a beautiful bird. Each spring I am hopeful but, alas, it has not been back.
Bobbie

Hope s/he comes back donn. Beautiful bird ... would like to see you be able to confirm idnentification.

Incredible color! Just beautiful.

He just visited again, and I used the binocs on him. Definately a male Indigo Bunting.

{{gwi:373127}}

{{gwi:373128}}

I need to get some feeders closer to the window. My little digital camera doesn't have good enough telephoto capability.

Great color, donn. I've seen one in my lifetime, and that had to be 30 years ago!

Constance.

Feeders up against the windows are great! Our cat loves the entertainment to say the least, and in our case, the squirrels find these feeders impossible to access. We have feeders elsewhere for them - away from the house.

Glad the Indigo visited again! Some cute!

Can you tell him to come on down to Southern Ontario? 2002 was the last time I saw one. What a wonderful, deep blue!

Their color is an interesting phenomenon. Their feathers are actually all black, with no blue in them at all. They look blue due to the reflection/refraction of light through the feathers.

I looked at an online distribution map for them today, and they usually don't show up this far north until early May, at least. They commute from northern South America, Latin America, Mexico and south Florida, all from coastal locations.

What a beautiful bird....does he have a song? What's it like?

Linda

His song is quite nice!

You should see my cats while I'm playing that! lol
One of them jumped up into the window to look at the feeders, the other is prowling around me at the computer with big eyes!

Linda

I save the wav files to my laptop, and when the weather warms up enough to have the sunroom windows open, play them out the window. It's amazing how it attracts the birds. They call back, come in close to investigate it, and all of it. Very cool.

Wow! that is cool. My cats went crazy too! Smokey KNOWS there is a bird somewhere close!!! He was slinking around trying to find it!
{{gwi:373130}}

How funny!
Maggie