> On Apr 11, 2026, at 10:07 PM, Chuck Imbergamo <imbercj...> wrote:
>
> As most of you know, I have been hosting an overwintering Indigo Bunting since the beginning of February. I put my last record photos of him and notes from my sighting into eBird and the following is from my report:
>
> Monday turned out to be the last day of his amazing visit. He spent very little time at the feeder and was mostly seen sort of skirting around the area, only stopping at the feeder a couple of times that I saw. I managed a couple of photos in the morning, when he was in the bushes where I believe he roosted each night.
>
> I last saw him at around 2:30 in the afternoon, when he perched briefly on the nearby maple tree and flew over to the feeder but he immediately hopped back and did not feed from it. On some of the previous days' visits he ate voraciously and aggressively at the feeder and he definitely seemed more listless over the last several days. Now I know that he was getting ready to move back to his breeding grounds.
>
> I was so fortunate to see this beautiful bird each and every day for 60 days. I got to see him transition from his tattered looking non-breeding plumage into nearly full breeding plumage. It's amazing when you realize that birds are individuals, struggling through their daily lives, and I was happy to support him through some bitter cold and even snow storms. I never let the feeder go empty and was rewarded with his visits – He brightened a very cold winter.
>
> I will miss him!
>
> Chuck Imbergamo
> CT Birds Moderator
> Madison
>
> Prologue: I will be checking eBird reports of Indigo Buntings with photos going forward – 'Indy' had a very yellow lower mandible which was visible even at a distance. I thought this would change as he came into breeding plumage but it did not. I hope that if anyone gets photos of an Indigo Bunting with this feature they will let me know; it might turn out to be him. I hope perhaps next winter he will come back and visit again.
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