Indigo Buntings are Migrating!

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting

Northern Parula

Indigo Bunting

Bird migration still occurring here in SW FL and lots more to come. Yesterday it was all about Indigo Buntings, many still molting and a few other warblers such as this Northern Parula. Also seen were Hooded Warblers and Prothonotary Warblers. They land in the native vegetation at the Sanibel lighthouse park and feast on the fig fruits, replenishing their reserves after their long journey across the Gulf of Mexico. Soon they will come to you!

Indigo Bunting Fallout, Sanibel, FL

Indigo Bunting, male

feasting on fig fruits

 Indigo Bunting, female, she needs a napkin

When the light shines a certain way, the blue is electric

They were all over the ground also. How many buntings can you find in the photo?

Birders looking up at the native plantings at the Sanibel Lighthouse.

There were also Blue Grosbeaks, another blue bird but they are larger than the indigos and have rust colored wing bars.

Here a male (r.) and female (l.) Blue Grosbeak who have just crossed the Gulf of Mexico and landed in the sea oat grasses at the edge of the beach. A big congratulations to them for making it!

Everywhere you looked there were beautiful, blue, Indigo Buntings at Sanibel Lighthouse park, Sanibel FL. Hundreds of them had come in off the Gulf of Mexico that they have just migrated across. Landing on the ground and in the fig trees the hungry migrants devoured the fruits and seeds. Blue fallout, a birders dream!
In addition to the buntings we also saw Blue Grosbeaks, orioles, kingbirds, warblers, swallows and more. Migration has been great and more is to come.

Blue, Blue, Blue: Indigo Bunting Mania Coming Your Way!

Indigo Buntings continue to pour into Florida. We have seen many the last 3 days at the Sanibel lighthouse park. They come in after their migration and stop in the dune sunflowers and eat the seeds.
So much blue, so much fun.

Here They Come! Buntings, Tanagers, Grosbeaks and More Migrants Flooding Into FL Now

Scarlet Tanager

Looking out from the Sanibel beach across the Gulf of Mexico. The buntings were landing in the dune vegetation.

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting eating Dune Sunflower seeds

Palm Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

Red-eyed Vireo

Buntings, Vireos, Tanagers, Warblers, Grosbeaks, and more birds are crossing the Gulf of Mexico and flooding into southern Florida now. We just saw many of them at the Sanibel, Florida, lighthouse park and I took the above photos today. It is so very cool to be standing near the beach and suddenly seeing birds landing near you that have just made it the 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. I just wanted to cheer and congratulate them. Many of the Indigo Buntings were landing in the dune vegetation and eating the seeds of the dune sunflowers, chowing down and refueling after their long journey. Others, like the Red-eyed Vireo, were in the tropical vegetation eating the fruits of the Gumbo Limbo trees. It's very exciting and addictive to see these eye-candy birds, it just makes you want more. Well there are many more birds to come, so, if you live in Florida and the Gulf Coast states, get out there and look because here they come!
Note, all photos here taken with my Canon SX 50 HS camera. If you have this camera and want my tips for using it, email me. Email link is at the top right of this blog.
Lillian