Bright Western Tanagers moving through

Like many other neotropical migrants being seen now in the lower elevations of SE Colorado, Western Tanagers are just stopping over on their way to their higher elevation breeding grounds. The first Western Tanager I saw was 5 days ago and it was female. This is one of the two males I saw this morning on the Canon City Riverwalk, the first males I have seen this year--what colorful birds they are.

I have several more pics of recent birds to post, but have been busy birding due to lots of migration activity. I will try to get a few more pics posted tonight and tomorrow so stay tuned. SeEtta

A splash of color-Western Tanagers

Western Tanagers have infiltrated lowland riparian areas in SE Colorado as they make their migration stop-overs before heading to higher elevation for nesting. The males' plumage is so bright it is almost painful to look at them in the sunlight

I took these photos a a male Western Tanager on the east end of the Canon City Riverwalk. It's interesting that they appear to have orange eyerings that stand out from the reddish on their heads. As brightly colored as they are, they still try to avoid being seen by hiding quite effectively in the foliage (always astounding how well such colorful birds can blend into a green and brown background).