What I love about birding are the unexpected things that happen.
I went to Orlando Wetlands hoping to get a chance to photograph some baby Barred Owls. Instead, I ended up with photos of a colorful new-to-me bird: Indigo Buntings.
I found several of these little birds feasting in the same area where I saw a Blue Grosbeak last year. They look a little similar, but they are very different birds.
And while Indigo buntings may be small in size, they’re big on travel. “Indigo Buntings fly about 1,200 miles each way between breeding grounds in eastern North America and wintering areas from southern Florida to northern South America,” AllAboutBirds.org notes.
While the buntings were the highlight of the trip, I came across some other great birds – but no baby owls. Maybe next time.