A Western Tanager is a migratory bird roughly the size of a small robin, but with cadmium yellow plumage and a brilliant red cap. The tanager winters as far south as central Mexico. During the summer, they will fly as far as northern British Columbia. They prefer the safety of high branches and forested areas.
We see them in our neighbourhood for two or three days out of the year, as our forest is in their migration path. In spring, their colours are extremely vivid; they truly stand out. During their fall migration their colours are muted, so they are harder to spot.
Although they are not rare birds, their visit to our forest is brief as a sigh, so we have to be lucky to get a photograph of them. Every year, I've tried to frame one in a snapshot only to be met with mixed success. I decided to paint a picture based on one of my better photos:
Whatever the weatherman says to the contrary, one of the surest signs of Spring around here is the song of the travelling tanager!
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