This afternoon we were walking around one of the local ponds when I saw this bird. I took several pictures. Although I was not sure, the best ID I could come up with was a juvenile junco. But the thought kept pestering me that it was not. Nonetheless, I couldn't find anything that I might expect to see that matched it.

So I posted the picture to a local birders' page where almost immediately several people said it was an Indigo bunting. And of course it is. I'd never seen one before and they are not exactly regular visitors here. Unexpected.

Almost exactly two years ago I saw a dickcissel (a relative of this bird). I'd never seen one of them before either but I was able to figure that one out myself. Not so this time.