On May 21, 2026, I found myself completely in awe of what I spotted, but first, a little background. I am a hobby entomologist and natural historian. I photograph nature, mostly bugs, identify them, and learn about how they live. I let my yard stay as natural as I can, encouraging native plants to thrive; and I am slowly working on lowering the non-natives that have taken over. To say I like nature is an understatement, I absolutely LOVE nature! Seeing how ecosystems form and work harmoniously with one another amazes me. Now back to my find.

I was sitting on my couch and looking out at my feeders to see what birds and squirrels were visiting. It’s something I do frequently. I see American Goldfinches, Hairy Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, and Northern Cardinals, to name a few; however, on this day, on the ground was a beautifully colored bird. At first, I thought it was a parakeet that someone may have lost. Thankfully, I was able to capture a few photos with my phone and then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. I quickly started searching the internet with the techniques I use to identify bugs and came upon the gorgeous Painted Bunting. That was my bird! I looked further and realized that this bird was mostly found in the south and became even more excited. I reached out to a friend, whom I had met due to our love of nature, to confirm my finding. She did confirm and suggested I submit it to eBird because of its rarity in New Hampshire. I continue to look outside in hopes that it will once again make an appearance in my yard. 

Even though taken with a cell phone, this photo clearly show’s Rebecca’s rare visitor.