Wellfleet has rare feathered visitor; lazuli bunting moves into Audubon sanctuary

By Colin A. Young, Globe Correspondent

A rare bird has been attracting throngs of birdwatchers to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary since it first appeared at a feeder there last Saturday.

Normally, it should winter in western Mexico. (Mark Faherty)

The lazuli bunting, a “lovely songbird” native to the western United States, has only been seen twice before in the state according to Mass Audubon, which owns the sanctuary. Lazuli buntings typically winter in western Mexico, the society said.

Sanctuary officials said the sighting has excited the birding community. “It’s the bizarreness of a bird that is supposed to be in western Mexico hopping around a feeder in Wellfleet,” Mark Faherty, the sanctuary’s science coordinator, said.

He said the bird was spotted at the sanctuary as recently as today.

On Saturday, a volunteer first noticed an unknown bird at a feeder and asked Faherty about it. Faherty said he knew what it was as soon as he saw it.

“I had a feeling it could be interesting,” he said. “I knew what it was right away; all the field marks came together and it could only be one thing.”

Sanctuary director Bob Prescott said, “This is the kind of thing that excites the birding world. People want to get out and see it as soon as they can. Within half an hour or 45 minutes, two or three of the top birders in the state were here.”

On Sunday, a group of people lined up before the sanctuary opened, hoping to see the bird. One group came from Downingtown, Pa., to see the bird, a distance of some 400 miles, society officials said.

“Every morning there are 10 or 15 more people than normal,’’ Prescott said.

Prescott and Faherty said there are numerous theories about what could cause a bird from the West to land on Cape Cod. One theory suggests a storm may have blown the bird north, Prescott said. Another suggests the bird may have a faulty internal compass, causing it to migrate north, rather than south.

“I’d guess he’s been in the area since fall. It doesn’t make sense that he would fly to Cape Cod from Mexico; he may have migrated the wrong way in fall,” Faherty said. “The Cape tends to collect vagrants because they can’t go any further with the ocean right here.”

Prescott said the bird appears to have settled in at the sanctuary, and could stick around, depending on the weekend weather. He said the potential snow is not necessarily a problem, but the cold temperatures could pose a threat for the bird.

“Our thinking is that he is going to be here for a while,” he said.

Prescott said the attention the bird has received has benefited the sanctuary and the area’s birding community.

“It’s a great way for the birding community to keep in touch with each other,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s great to see everybody.”