ML614873486

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Rare visitor during the colder months, reliable at local coastal wintering sites in neighboring counties but only occasionally dropping in at Randall’s and the outer islands. Given the generally mild conditions thus far this season, this week’s snowstorm produced some hope of a fresh push for this species, and sure enough a pair was reported here yesterday by Luke Rhode. I was not particularly optimistic about these birds continuing, so the sound of a chirruping rattle and descending whistled notes was a welcome surprise as I rounded the edge of Field 29. A single bunting, a toasted marshmallow male with bold white wing patches, took off from the melting fringe of the snowy ballfields and fluttered over to the remnants of the grassy hill by the tennis center. The bird had gone missing by the time I walked over there, but I eventually relocated it along the road south of Field 27, where it popped up on the fence and perched quite confidingly for a time

Technical information

Model

NIKON D7500

ISO

1100

Focal length

500 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/800 sec

Dimensions

3005 pixels x 2003 pixels

Original file size

1.5 MB