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Date: 9/22/25 9:36 am From: Pete Sole <pete...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Bunting?, Redstart, and More
Hi birders, An update on the bunting photos. It's unanimous, the species is a Lazuli Bunting. Thanks to all of the responders. Pointers noted in some of the responses: 1. The streaking on the chest is NOT diagnostic. Both Indigo and Lazuli juveniles can be somewhat streaked. 2. The wing bars on the photographed bird are distinct and white, which is consistent with Lazuli Buntings. 3. The throat is more brownish like a Lazuli, rather than whitish on an Indigo. Fun juvenile bird to learn from. Pete On 9/21/25 10:20 PM, Pete Sole wrote: > Hi birders, > > This morning (Sunday), I chased a few birds on the West Side of Santa > Cruz. > > At the Lighthouse Community Garden, there was a bunting that I think > has been previously reported as Lazuli Bunting. However, after > reviewing my photos, I'm wondering if it is an Indigo Bunting. Here > are a bunch of large, only cropped, photos: > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/documentary/bunting_250921a.jpg > > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/documentary/bunting_250921b.jpg > > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/documentary/bunting_250921d.jpg > > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/documentary/bunting_250921e.jpg > > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/documentary/bunting_250921f.jpg > > > The first 2 photos and the last 3 photos are the same bird. I'm not > sure sure that all 5 are the same bunting, although I think so. What > is throwing me off, is that in the second set of photos (d,e,f), we > can clearly see some streaking. The most likely species is Lazuli > Bunting, but what do you think? > > Also of interest, one of the American Redstarts continued in > Lighthouse Field, in the line of willows at the Laguna street > entrance. For, ahem, documentary photos of the Redstart, see the ebird > report here: > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S274701991 > > Finally, at the Lighthouse Community Garden there was a Black Phoebe > that nabbed a dragonfly. The bug was so big, that the Phoebe seemed to > be struggling to figure out how to eat it! For fun photos see: > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/web_ready/flycatchers/phoebe_black_with_dragonfly_250921a.jpg > > > https://www.lighthousenet.com/photos/birds/web_ready/flycatchers/phoebe_black_with_dragonfly_250921b.jpg > > > To wrap up, if you can share some insight on the bunting, I would be > grateful for a response. > > Fun birding and bird photography this Sunday. > > Pete Solé > > Soquel, CA > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "mbbirds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to mbbirds+<unsubscribe...> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<d7b43eff-482e-444f-bc5d-54cd314e013b...>

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