My spark bird is the Indigo Bunting. I’ve only seen one once in my life but I’ll never forget that day. It was summertime in the early 1980’s in Lapeer County, Michigan (the “thumb” area). As a young college student, my job as an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) field scout was to assess the levels of weeds, insects and diseases in about 1500 acres of farmland and give local farmers a weekly update so they could make informed decisions about spraying pesticides.

One day as I sat in my car writing a report, I looked up and saw at the edge of the field near the forest, the brightest bluest bird I’d ever seen. Without taking my eyes off the bird, I slowly reached over for my binoculars on the front seat and then my Peterson guide book. I remember flipping through the book and saying out loud to myself, oh my god…an Indigo Bunting! There was no one there to share it with and no phones back then to take a photo or even to call someone. It was just me and that bird and what a thrill it was to see.