Tales from the Garden

This fall, we welcomed some newcomers into our garden: a flock of seven Lazuli Buntings.   In previous years, this species has only passed through our place briefly during its migration, but this year they arrived in October and to our delight, they have chosen to stay for 3 months and counting!     Typically, Lazuli Buntings migrate to the California coast and west-central inland states each year to breed, then form small flocks and start to molt some of their feathers right before beginning their annual fall migration. They begin their migration by flying to southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, or northern Sonora for  1–2 months.  Then they continue migrating farther south to spend their winters along the west coast of Mexico, and complete their molting there.      While migrating or in their breeding grounds in the US, Lazuli Buntings prefer habitats that are near streams or creeks, brushy or wooded areas, and thickets at the edges of agricultural fields.  They are not fussy