Proof Positive - Tanager

Day 223: Got him! Here's proof positive that I have a Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) hanging around the yard. I've had glimpses of him in years past, glimpses and not much more, a flash of yellow and orange zipping past the kitchen window or perched on the far side of the contorted filbert and almost entirely obscured by leaves, unmistakeable for anything else but too elusive for my lens. Yesterday, I just happened to have my hand about three inches away from the camera when he landed on the shepherd's-hook outside the window. By the time I'd picked it up and was ready to snap his picture, he was gone. Surprisingly, he came back a few minutes later, enticed by the suet feeder which at that point was occupied by a different bird. Waiting his turn, he perched on the wind chime and...CLICK!...I had confirmation in the bag. Isn't he a beauty?

Western Tanager, Documented

Day 257: I had a lot of help from Mother Nature in capturing this image of a Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) who was visiting my yard. I've found these birds to be difficult to document photographically. They always jump out of the frame a fraction of a second before the shutter engages, or they hide among foliage, only revealing themselves with the occasional tantalizing flash of orange and yellow. How did Ma help me out? Well, we're building up to a heat wave here, and as a consequence, it's been quite windy. Mr. Tanager (yes, this is a male) was struggling to keep his balance on the wire and was so preoccupied that he didn't notice when I opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch. I had just enough time to snap four or five shots at 74x digital zoom, this being the best of the lot. I knew it had been too much to hope for his appearance on my Big Day because Tanagers don't often come to the yard. That said, this is the second time I've seen him this year.

Western Tanager Female

Day 296: When I cannot go into Nature, Nature comes to me. Pedalling strongly on my exercise bike, I was watching for the butterfly I suspected of being an Orange-Tip and had the camera within arm's reach atop the recycle bin. A flutter of yellow pulled my eyes away from the hawkweed and into the branches of the Sitka mountain-ash, now heavily laden with bright orange berries. It took me a few seconds to find the bird, longer to find it in the lens, and when it was at last in my view, I said, "Well, who are you, then? You're not a Parrot, and you're certainly not a Goldfinch. You're too big to be a Wobbler" (my term for warblers). "Who the heck are you? Oh, I know! I bet you're a lady Tanager!" I recalled having seen a splash of orange amid the deep shadows of the contorted filbert's leaves a few days earlier, and possibly another instance of "orange flash" in the tangle of Philadelphus stems in the back yard, both typical of the type of sighting the males usually give me: a wink of colour which I can't even say for certain is a bird except that it would have to be, all other factors considered. Ms. Tanager sat on her bough long enough for me to get several photos which were sufficient to confirm my identification: young or molting female Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana. I wonder where her boyfriend is? And more to the point, do I now have a breeding pair? Oh, that would be exciting news! I seldom see one more than once every few years.

Western Tanager, Piranga Ludoviciana

Day 271: Flighty Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) isn't the easiest bird to photograph. One occasionally comes to my yard, but invariably hides in the tangled leaves of the contorted filbert. However, when Team Biota spotted one in Longmire, we went into full "Big Year" mode and pulled as far off the road as the narrow approach to the bridge would allow, and all four of us jumped out with cameras at the ready. While none of these is an ideal field-guide shot, they are still the best Tanager photos I've achieved, definitely sufficient for a positive ID. A female was more elusive, flitting from tree to tree but always landing in the protective cover of foliage. Formerly placed with other Tanagers, Western Tanager has been reclassified into the family of Cardinals. Western Tanager's diet consists primarily of insects, although they also consume various fruits. Locally, their diet includes elderberries, serviceberry and cherries (wild or cultivated). They are also an important control for tussock moth here in the Pacific Northwest.