Snow Bunting

Woohoo!  We seem to be perfectly located for birds from all areas!  This wee lady is a Snow Bunting (non-breeding).  They are known to flock in the winter, so it's unusual to see an individual on their own.  Snow Buntings breed in the high Arctic among rocky crevices where their crisp white plumage blends in with the snowy landscape. Here are some fun facts about this latest visitor (courtesy of The Cornell Lab).  

• The Snow Bunting places its nest deep in cracks or other cavities in rocks. Although such nest sites are relatively secure from predators, rocks are cold. The thick nest lining of fur and feathers helps keep the eggs and nestlings warm, but the female must stay on the nest for most of the incubation period. Because the female can't leave the nest very often, the male brings her food almost every 15 minutes.
• Although breeding and nonbreeding Snow Buntings look quite different, the change from nonbreeding to breeding plumage isn't caused by growing in a new set of feathers (molt). The change from brownish to pure white happens when males rub their bellies and heads on the snow, wearing down the brown feather tips to reveal immaculate white features below.
• The oldest recorded Snow Bunting was a male, and at least 8 years, 9 months old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alaska, the same state where he had been banded.

You can learn more about this bird, including hearing its song and call by visiting The Cornell Lab website.