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[SBB] Continuing Canyon Wren and probable male Indigo Bunting



All,
 
This morning Frank Vanslager and I took the Grizzly Gulch Trail of Henry Coe Park up a couple miles from the bridge at the end of Gilroy Hot Springs Road where we first heard and finally saw the CANYON WREN calling near the top of a large rocky area about 3/4 of a mile past the Rock Tower Trail (about 1/4 mile before the Dexter Trail).  Later as we headed back down the trail, just below the junction with the Rock Tower Trail we heard a bird giving a unusual 5 or 6 note song from the tops of the trees.  After several minutes searching I spotted the bird flying to bare branches at the top of a tree near me.   Unfortunately a branch blocked the middle of the bird from my view.  What I saw was a chunky, dark tailed, dark (black) headed bird with a heavy, light straw colored bill (pale yellowish-pink).  I said "It looks like a Junco?" knowing that it couldn't possibly be a Junco from it's song.  After Frank found the bird and got his scope on it I considered going after my scope which I had left it on the trail 50 feet away as searched for the bird.  At that point, with me looking elsewhere, the bird turned 180 degrees and quickly flew to the southwest.  Frank then said the bird was an overall dark blue (somewhat lighter below) with darker looking wings and a light grayish(?) bill,  Differences in the apparent color of the bird would be due to the fact that there was about 135-150 degrees of angle between Frank and I in relation to the bird (Frank was down trail [south southwest] and I was up trail [east northeast] of the bird which was facing almost due north).  The bird was in full sun (from the south) with no clouds and wind was light and steady at probably 5-6 mph.  As soon as we reached Franks's car he played the song of the Indigo Bunting from his Peterson's CD which was a good match for the song heard and he then played the song of a Blue Grosbeak (the only other likely candidate) which did not match the song heard.  It therefore seems that the bird seen was a male INDIGO BUNTING. 
 
Take care,
Bob Reiling      
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