February 9, 2018

Congratulations to our BirdSpotter People’s Choice winner Laura Frazier, of Middleway, WV, for this colorful photo of an Indigo Bunting! Laura snapped this photo of the bunting singing away on a rainy day at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Montgomery County, MD.

She says “The WMA is 2000 acres, and they plant Sunflowers to help feed the wildlife. Every summer it is a popular place to go when the 30 acres of Sunflowers are in full bloom at the end of July/early August. The morning I went out there, it began to rain, so I had whole field all to myself and got to watch an abundance of Indigo Buntings, Eastern Phoebes, and American Goldfinches flying around the flowers, feeding, or just sitting and singing away. It rained pretty hard most of the time I was out there, but the birds didn’t seem to mind. I’m sure I looked quite funny trying to hold an umbrella and take photos of birds at the same time, but I had an amazing time out there!”

If you’re looking to find an Indigo Bunting, search in weedy and brushy areas, especially in edge habitat where fields meet forests. They eats insects, seeds, and berries, and can be attracted to your backyard with thistle or nyjer seed.

Monday, February 12th, is the first day to submit a photo to the final BirdSpotter category Eyewitness. Biweekly People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice winners receive prizes from the Cornell Lab and our sponsor, Wild Birds Unlimited. Anyone can participate by entering a photo and voting for their favorites! Find out more about the BirdSpotter contest.