Painted Bunting

Thank goodness for the birdwatchers and other photographers at Great Falls this morning, or I would have never found this little guy.  He has become quite a celebrity and is very popular.  

When I pulled into the parking lot, finding it felt quite daunting....a bit like finding a needle in a haystack.  I had seen them before in Florida, so I knew what I was looking for, but had no idea where to look, so I followed the folks with the binoculars and cameras.   He stayed hidden in the brambles most of the time but I managed to get a couple of decent shots, even in poor lighting.  I have loaded another in extra which is the better-exposed photo, but this one shows all the beautiful colors so I chose it for my blip.