Painted bunting surprise Thanksgiving visitor

On November 18th at 12:25 PM Linda Peterson of La Conner posted a listing of one on ebird.org that has caused a stir among Western Washington birders.

The sighting she reported was a first for La Conner - a male painted bunting (Passerina ciris).

Within hours the listserv monitored by avid birders, Tweeters, had information about the bird.

This rare, colorful bird usually occupies a territory slightly south of here - New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida.

They typically winter in South Florida, Cuba and much of Central America, according to Wikipedia.

Needless to say, birders looking to add a rare bird to their lists of species seen began trekking to La Conner to view this beautiful bird.

Fortunately, it was observable from a distance behind Peterson's home.

A steady stream of birders began arriving, politely making room for newcomers to slip into the small viewing space and get a photo or two.

How this bird got here is anyone's guess.

Will it, like the white pelicans that showed up last year, return?