Black-throated Blue warbler

There wasn't a lot of time today for much of anything, what with overseeing a tree-cutting job at my neighbor's and writing the new edition of my weekly natural history column. My guess was that I'd barely take any pictures, but in the middle of the afternoon, I looked up from my computer to spot a commotion in the underbrush. It involved lots of little, high-energy birds, but the light was bad and I couldn't see much. Even so, I took a number of pictures in the hope that what I figured was at least one member of a small flock of kinglets would appear on my computer screen when I downloaded and analyzed the shots. Clearly, I guessed wrong. With a little help from Photoshop—I lightened the image somewhat—I discovered the rambunctious bird's identity: it was Black-throated Blue Warbler, a truly gorgeous bird and not one that is common around here. Why it remains in full breeding plumage this late in the year I can't begin to explain, but there it is, in its spring finery, complete with that characteristic white wing bar. I love a surprise. And an enigma.