By the time you read this, we will have officially used up all the available days in August. I am stunned to say the least… not so much that another calendar page has been torn off, rather we will be in official haunt month. I am sure my long-time readers (so appreciative) are likely bored of hearing about our haunted trail and the effort it takes to get that built, put on for two days, and then torn down every year. It is truly the pinnacle for our year and a culmination of all the prop building and preparation that occur through the entirety of the year. Unfortunately, the “fun” times give way to full on stress when we get to this point as the project plan needs updating hourly the weather forecast is constantly fretted over and “overwhelmed” becomes the word of the day. All of this is really just context to let you know I will be stepping away from the Internet most of September as a result. Fear not, Intrigued will continue to bring you content with the help of Brad and Jan who will be going to bat in my absence. Truth is I have been saving up their adventures to this point knowing this was on the horizon (note, they also just returned from another exciting adventure in the field).
Since our power hitters are coming on deck, thought the perfect strategy would be to “Bunt” my way to first (of the month ha).
No mistaking that bill for a member of the Bunting family. Hit the jump and we will introduce you to a new featured feathered friend making its debut on the wild side of Intrigued.
Warning/apologies this series is not my best work by any means and a lot of that is owed to being a chance encounter with this lifer. Typically I plan for the day, get the settings dialed in relatively close for the intended task and ease my way into the field so as not to strain any hammies or shoulder ligaments.
Definitely not the case here. We had been traveling I10 to our destination in Arizona back in March 2025 when we pulled into the Lordsburg Welcome Center. I am sure Tim over at Off Center & Not Even (link here) is familiar with that spot. Hobbled out of the car and joined the rest of the patrons in the “Rest Stop Duck Walk” (RSDW). Swear to god RV seats are specifically designed to atrophy your leg muscles. Took a few painful steps toward the center before my ears detected an odd twill coming from the “wasteland” beyond the landscaped area of the rest stop.
Ran back to the RV (you can imagine how funny that must have looked still dealing with the RSDW, now in double time with legs wobbling like the exit to the Tilt-A-Whirl. Fumbled around for The Beast and headed in the direction of the call. Eventually located the source of the foreign twill and started snapping shots of diminutive Little Brown Jobbers who were working the rocks and desert shrub. More on that bird in a bit…in the midst of trying to get those shots a Big Ol’ Plump Brown Jobber popped into the frame – “What the hell is that!?!”
I was not sure what this new specimen was at all, so now there were two distinct bird species completely new to me flitting about. Add “Spastic Arm” condition to the still present RSDW – every day I expect a video of this scene to be uploaded by someone at that welcome center causing immense embarrassment as it goes viral.
The BOPBJ turned out to be a Lark Bunting. Even with all our travels to Texas, Oklahoma and the rest of the states in the northern band from there, this Bunting had managed to elude me.
This is rather amazing as the Lark Bunting happens to be one of the few Sparrows that are incredibly easy to identify…clarify… incredibly easy to identify in the male breeding plumage. Imagine an all dark (mostly black) bird with a broad white patch on the wing – wish I could show you a shot of that, but all the specimens there were females are males in non-breeding plumage. This particular one looks to be a male owing to the very dark coloration around that slate-grey bill. Females tend to have a whiter throat purely based on all the photos/books that were referenced.
Cornell nailed it with their foraging behavior “they feed among other Sparrows or with Quail [not there], often near road edges and often in flocks. Check, not check, check, check.
“Excuse me Mr. Fancypants Photographer over there, did you call me ‘Plump’“
“Yes I did and I have photographic evidence – just look at yourself next to a House Finch…“
“…I rest my case!“
Back to that other LBJ that initially caught my attention. If you squint real hard you just might make it out to the right and down from the Bunting in this next shot.
That second lifer ended up being a Brewer’s Sparrow. Those images still need to be processed – hoping that lot turns out better than these Bunting shots, although, again, the complete lack of functioning appendages puts that into doubt – more to come on Brewer’s AFTER the haunt event.
“You know you look like a member of the Ministry of Silly Walks” – (see the 26 second mark in this video – link here).
Alas, the time has come to get back into the haunt lab – word has it our evil clown infestation is causing chaos in the lab…(direct link here).
Stay Calm, Haunt On!
Wildlife Intrigued 
I like the streaks on the lark bunting’s feathers. Good camouflage.
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Agreed, although that rather plump body and vice grip bill makes them stick out among the rest of the Sparrows. Appreciate you dropping in Anneli.
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these birds. Would love to see one though.
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From the region maps it looks like they tend to hang out right through the middle of North America rather than move to the coasts so not likely see one beyond a rarity. You will definitely like the breeding male plumage as it is dramatically different – fingers crossed I can get one of those in the tin in future trips to the field.
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Would love to see that.
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Beautiful birds! 🥰
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Thanks John! I though of you today as our feels like temp is beyond 107 at the moment. I feel bad until I think about those hot days in Vegas.. and no tricking me with that dry heat excuse – hot is hot. With that said, I returned from my morning run and it looked someone had turned a firehose on me.
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A bit sweaty aye! Thanks for thinking of me. We are down in the 90s now, the end of the summer swelter seems to be here and right on time too. Had a great 16 mile ride this morning. Dry heat will still put ya six foot under, stay cool!
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Definitely got my sweat quotient in for the day and that was after getting up way earlier than I usually do in hopes of beating the Heat Miser. Nice job on the ride, is that with your new e-bike?
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Yes, it sure is and its got over 100 miles already. It’s like a Cadillac compared to the old steel frame bike and its ridiculously loud motor. I can barely hear this motor.
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previous comment:
You hit a home run with your bunt! Although I had to make my coffee before I could hit the jump!
It’s hard for me to believe that a bunting would be brown and a member of the sparrow family. Interesting! Great photo captures for a hobbler, Brian.
And your ending had me hysterically laughing! Today I must purchase McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice for my Halloween-tem spokes ahead.
Take that, Brian, to tombstone we will go! 🎃
This post is haunted! I know that I sent a like and a comment early this morning but it must have landed in the tombstone graveyard. Instead of trying to repeat my comment I will just be satisfied with stating you hit a home run with your bunt and that Halloween clown is hilarious! Brian you are definitely domed! 🎃
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Somehow you ended up on our mothership site that has our wildlife posts replicated along with our non-wildlife posts (like my running, Halloween and rant related posts) – (link here). I went ahead and moved that comment into this one to keep things consistent – apologies for the confusion. We established the wild side so individuals not interested in the other stuff could focus purely on the animals/birds/etc we feature and vice versa. Glad you liked the posts and yes, those clowns are an absolute menace!!! I saw McCormick which reminded me of a fun fact, we live about 30 minutes away from the Libby’s Pumpkin plant in Morton IL – they provide pretty much all the pumpkin pie filling for the US and beyond out of that plant. There are semis full of pumpkins passing through our rural area these on their way to a processing plant in 10 minutes away in Princeville. This always helps to get us into the Halloween spirit. Take care and again, sorry for the confusion.
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It’s haunted! I have not subscribed to the mothership and only looked at the links you provided to me on an entirely different post. This post is definitely haunted.
Love the fun McCormick pumpkin fact!!
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There are a lot of haunted things going on around Intrigued this time of year ha.
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Safe at First? What an interesting bird.
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Yes..but only by a toe – technically some of my readers across the pond may have gotten me out as I was pushing to get that post out ahead of “our” midnight where there’s would have already passed.
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You need to visit the Colorado plains during the summer months and you will be able to see a male in full breeding plumage.
Interestingly, the Lark Bunting is Colorado’s state bird.
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I had no idea it was Colorado’s state bird – learning something new every day! Will definitely have to make our way out there to get some good shots of the breeding Lark Bunting. I have seen them from the car as we traveled through Nebraska etc., but never a good chance to get them in the tin. Take care Tanja.
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You take care also, what with your training and other preparations! 😊
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Good Will Bunting or Goodwill Bunting or simply Bunting because it’s September now. Super photos whichever way you look at it. I love that silly clown. He truly knows what it feels like to “hit the wall!”
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Move over Damon, there is a new card shark in town ha! My friend used his Grok account to make that video from a still I sent him while working on the new cemetery fences. He made several versions with this being his extended one that included the fence’s revenge. The growing abilities of AI is increasingly causing me concern – pretty soon we will not be able to tell fake from realism. As for now there always at least one clue (liking the clown jumping right through the fence ha). Thanks for coming by Tim.
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There is so many AI videos on YouTube. On the singers you can tell by the voice and the same smile they have while singing. I’ve been there, done that with AI images and videos.
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Great capture of the Lark Bunting in his winter garb!
I posted my first and only photo of a Lark Bunting in breeding plumage in 2023… and that, after living my entire childhood in the eastern plains of Colorado, where they shyly hide from everything and everybody. I didn’t realize at the time how different their winter plumage is from summer. Great catch!
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Thank you Sam. It is a bit of a letdown I couldn’t bring you shots of their breeding plumage at the same time, but every single time I have spotted them we have been driving across the plains and they were flitting about the side of the road – Linda says I have used up all my “”STOP BIRD” tokens so she never takes the foot off the pedal. I definitely have it on my to-do list to get those males in the tin. It was a little like breaking the ice though as I had never seen one up to maybe 3 years ago and now I will regularly catch those white patches fly from a fence post on our travels. Like the Pauraque your just need to get your eyes trained ha. Take care and happy birding – turned hot here again so not much time in the field as of late.
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Love the idea of “stop, bird” tokens – my hubby can certainly relate! That little Tropical Storm Edouard has cooled things off a little… it’s only 90F as I write this. The temps will bounce back, but I’m enjoying the little break!
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I just checked the range map for lark buntings and they don’t come anywhere near us here on the west coast (I’m on Vancouver Island). No wonder I haven’t seen one, but I sure would love to!
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Ah, I just responded to your first comment (working the comments in the order WP gives them to me) – yes, they tend to stay a ways away from you although it is always possible one or two will get an inkling to travel to more exotic places ha.
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