Painted Bunting in Prospect Park

Sherry Felix

On December 4 and 5, 2015 I went to Prospect Park to see the vagrant Painted Bunting – a life bird. A painted bunting looks like something from a coloring book. There were at least 50 birders at a time surrounding the little bird, who didn’t care a fig about the people. It was very hard to photograph because of all the birders. I couldn’t get a good view and when I did someone invariably jostled me. I tried for two days and managed to get a few semi-usable shots on the second day. Three of the photos shown here are composites of two photographs created at the same location; “Painted Bunting in the Grasses” is a straight photo (not a composite). I know the Blue Jay isn’t a bunting; it’s my creative choice to include it in this series.

Environmental note: habitat restoration and management is crucial to our local birds not just to vagrants. There a lots of feral cats wandering the parks in NYC. Vagrant birds are not a good thing if global warming is the cause.

See  The Famous Painted Bunting by Sherry Felix on The Linnaean Society of NY’s site. I am their webmistress and a council member.

11 thoughts on “Painted Bunting in Prospect Park”

  1. David P. 2021-09-25 / 1:13 pm

    This Old House visited Prospect Park so I searched your archives and found this post. I would love to see more of the Botanic Gardens.

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      • David P. 2021-09-27 / 11:29 am

        Thank you for the links. I found a few posts I hadn’t seen before.

        The Merchant’s House Museum that I mentioned in another comment was like going back in time. It is preserved just as it was when the Tredwell family lived there in the 19th century. The family was wealthy and lived to the highest standards of the day though inconvenient by modern standards. There was no running water (except for a pump in the kitchen), no electricity (candles only), and each bedroom was furnished with a chamber pot as there was no bathroom.

        It won a NYC Preservation Award, is ranked in the top 10% of worldwide attractions, and celebrates its 85th year as a museum in 2021. According to its website, the house is threatened by development next door. The docent on This Old House said it was the only original Brownstone in the neighborhood. It would be a shame to lose this property.

        So I learned, too, that Prospect Lake was fed by a series of streams and ponds. Thanks for the info.

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        • Sherry Felix 2021-09-27 / 6:32 pm

          Thanks. I have walked by the Merchant house, but it is always closed. I will have to try to visit it.

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  2. Barbara Bryan 2015-12-10 / 10:19 am

    Lovely. It’s a big breasted bird, right?

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  4. Midwestern Plant Girl 2015-12-09 / 6:23 am

    Wow! They are straight from a coloring book. Very beautiful composite.
    I couldn’t imagine having to climb over other photographers to capture a bird! Luckily, my subjects don’t generally move. 😉

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