It’s always exciting for a birder to add a new species to a life list. At my breakfast table today, I heard a call that was new to me. I pulled out my trusty Merlin Bird app, and it immediately and repeatedly identified the call as a Summer Tanager.
I searched the dense foliage behind my deck with binoculars but was unable to spot the bird. Now that I know one is in the area, I’ll keep my eyes peeled.
The Summer Tanager is a member of the Cardinal family, so it would be easy to see one from a distance and assume it’s a Cardinal. The call, however, was very distinctive and unmistakable. I may try putting out some orange halves since they are attracted to them, similar to Orioles.
Thought In Memory Of Thomas Brown
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
John Lubbock
