May 20th, 2014

If you’re a Point Pelee birder, you cruise the Carolinian Forest or roam the Rideau Lakelands, you may have numerous sightings of the scarlet tanager to your credit.  That’s where the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario says you’re most likely to spot this black-winged, blood-red bird.  For many of us, though, this is a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of sighting, but so spectacular it’s sure to be long-lasting memory.

Reports are popping up all over southern Ontario this week of tanagers appearing in places they’ve never been seen before.

A friend  emailed late last week to say that he’d seen two males and 3 females in the Newmarket area north of Toronto.   Clare and I used to paddle the Big East River during the spring melt when we lived and worked at the Tawingo Outdoor Centre in Huntsville. He said in his email “Can’t remember seeing one since the East River drive in the 1970’s. What a spring gift.”

Several teachers have emailed recently, one wondering if she had seen one in her yard:

“I have a new species the last two days and he has me baffled.  It is a plump little scarlet bird that likes to sit in the trees close to the feeder, but I have not seen him feed there. In looking at pictures, he resembles the Scarlet Tanager.  In reading about him, however, it is not a common bird around this area.  Love your thoughts.  Have a great day”

…and another confirming a tanager in her Kitchener yard:

“I spotted one in my backyard last week (Forest heights area).  I had to do a double take as I thought it was cardinal at first. It was the first time I have spotted one here in KW.
I noted it in my checklist to ebirding.”

While out for a hike with family and friends at the cottage in Tobermory this weekend, we were flabbergasted to find a male tanager foraging for bugs along the shoulder of the road.  He was completely unconcerned with our presence, coming within a metre of us while we gawked in awe at his beauty and boldness.

I contacted Rod Steinacher, a former “outdooredguy”and retired WRDSB teacher now living in Tobermory, and one of the founders of the Cabot Head Bird Observatory on the Bruce Peninsula. Rod replied: “We have had a “rash” (a very red one) of Tanagers this spring.  What a treat!”

Described above as “a gift” and “a treat”,  I am grateful to be one of the lucky observers of such a remarkable bird this spring.