Piranga rubra
Summer Tanager in Bloomington, Utah © Patrick Williams, 2002
The Summer Tanager is not a bird you would normally find in Northern Utah, so I was shocked to see this one on Antelope
Island. I was drawn to the area north of the the restrooms at Garr Ranch because the Willow Flycatchers were calling out.
I was trying to sneak up on them when I spied this bright bird just sitting out in the open about 8 feet off the ground in a
Locust tree. It was so bright I thought it wasn't real. I got as close as I dared to take my first few shots but my camera did
not want to focus on it. I wasn't very close so I tried both my close-up and far-away setting with my teleconverter lens. Neither
would focus. When I tried to sneak closer this male flew to the tree tops where I lost him altogether. I think it must have come
in with all the other Western Tanagers that were at Garr Ranch today. © Carol Davis, 6-3-07
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