It was a little bit of a hectic day.

I needed to mail a relatively bulky package, and being without a car, I needed to walk it to the post office in the early afternoon¹.

This is a time I’m not usually out. I was sure to bring my camera, because you never know.

And it was a great day for photography, particularly because I got to see this fellow.

It’s unusual around this area to see a bird of such a vibrant blue color.

He was also quite small in size, and pretty skittish and distant from me, which made the photography more challenging.

No matter. There’s always cropping in post-production, right?

Facts: Photographic and Fowl

So, what about the Indigo Bunting? Here are some facts that I pilfered from Wikipedia.²

• Since particular bird was vibrant blue, it is indeed male. Male Indigo Buntings turn this shade to attract a mate.
• It’s a migratory bird that spends the summers from Canada to Florida, and the winters in South America. Pennsylvania is in the summer-only range.
• It’s a pretty small bird, so I was justified in having difficulty getting a better shot!

Here’s my obligatory pointless EXIF information.

Beasts of Different Types

And with that out of the way, what were the other animals I had the good fortune to run across?

Firstly, a lot of active butterflies.

Secondly, some boring doves.

And thirdly & most importantly, my most beloved pair of turkey vultures.

If anyone wants to join a local turkey vulture fan club chapter, I’m interested in opening one. :)

Footnotes

¹ The Post Office, a.k.a. that institution which provides vital services for so many people, and which has been severely underfunded appears to be increasingly decimated in a show of political malice. My local branch’s weekday hours have been reduced to a pathetic and lightly followed 10AM to 1PM, at which time it closes for a lunch break, and reopens sometime after 1:45, closing for good at 4:45PM.

² I’m not in school anymore, so I don’t need to obfuscate the fact that I’m doing it.