They're Baaacck!

Finally, the Western Tanager birds showed up at the water fountains today. I was beginning to think we weren't going to see them this year at all. But this, I assume, is the Mr. and Mrs. and they are a very lovely and colorful bird, although it really doesn't look like it here, and in a quick rethinking of this, maybe these are just youngsters visiting our water as the males are very bright colored this time of year. And I learned something new when I looked up this bird...it is now considered part of the Cardinal family! Well, how about that? I wonder if they will change the name at some point.

Speaking of rethinking things.....I have been totally depressed about missing my reunion and today I decided to throw caution to the wind and go ahead and go, with Bill's blessing. All my excuses are thrown out the window. I will have no other opportunity to attend my 50th reunion so what the hey. July 11th at Melrose Vineyard near Roseburg. It should be very nice.

The Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana), is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae).[2] The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family.

Adults have pale stout pointed bills, yellow underparts and light wing bars. Adult males have a bright red face and a yellow nape, shoulder, and rump, with black upper back, wings, and tail; in non-breeding plumage the head has no more than a reddish cast and the body has an olive tinge. Females have a yellow head and are olive on the back, with dark wings and tail.

The song of disconnected short phrases suggests an American Robin's but is hoarser and rather monotonous. The call is described as "pit-er-ick".

Their breeding habitat is coniferous or mixed woods across western North America from the Mexico-U.S. border as far north as southern Alaska; thus they are the northernmost-breeding tanager. They build a flimsy cup nest on a horizontal tree branch, usually in a conifer. They lay four bluish-green eggs with brown spots.

These birds migrate, wintering from central Mexico to Costa Rica. Some also winter in southern California.