[obol] Painted Bunting, Canary, Coincidence?

  • From: Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 17:20:45 -0700

HI Folks,

I'm not even sure how to start ... how 'bout the beginning....

I received an email from some considerate Salem folks letting me know that
... 3rd hand they had received forwarded photos of a PAINTED BUNTING coming
to a feeder at a rural residence near Lookingglass (SW of Roseburg a few
miles). After about a day (which is pretty good considering there were
several links between me and the original observer), I was able to obtain
contact information for the original observer/homeowner. I went over there
today to see if the bird was still around. No bunting. Turns out they had
only seen it one morning a week or two ago, but I did see the feeder and
background shown in the bunting photo. Here is the homeowner's photo from
that morning (I hope to obtain more photos of the bunting from that
morning):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewghunter/sets/72157635287515375/

I also learned when I was over there that another odd bird had shown up; a
very yellow bird (photos in same set as above). She said the whole bird was
that peachy yellow color. I was told "last spring"; the image data says 2
July 2012. She asked me what I thought those were. Unfortunately the photos
do not show the whole bird, and I was stumped. However, it dawned on me
that it just looks like a "Canary." No, not a goldfinch, a Canary, the
common cage bird. See what you think. The board the bird is sitting
on/behind is a 2x6, which would be 5 1/2 inches tall.

So this then led me to wonder ... a Canary in summer 2012.  A Painted
Bunting in summer 2013.  Painted Buntings are trapped and sold illegally
here in the U.S., I've read....  Could this indicate a bird breeder/seller
near this area that is loosing birds?

Any thoughts on the identity of the yellow bird? Is it a Canary? And if it
is a Canary, any thoughts on the coincidence of a Painted Bunting appearing
at the same residence one year later?

Matt Hunter
Melrose, OR

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