Western Tanagers, Evening and Blackhead Grosbeaks

[imperialbirders]

We are having a wonderful time watching our back yard birds. Among the usual birds, we have several pairs of Blackheaded Grosbeaks and today counted 17 Evening Grosbeaks (male and female). Isolating because of COVID 19 is not too bad when you have these beautiful birds to watch all day. We have some Western Tanagers, male, female and immature male visiting in the past few days. They may nest close by this year? A pair of Stellar's is nesting in a small maple tree in front of our kitchen window. The only time Jays are quiet.
Below are photos of a male Western Tanager and an immature male Western Tanager taken in our back yard. The crop of wild cherries look tremendous this year so our back yard birds will have a feast. We just hope the bear stays away as two years ago a bear spent several days eating the wild cherries in our back yard so we had to self isolate then as well. The bear also destroyed the tree and it has not recovered. But dead trees do make good homes for woodpeckers and we have many again this year.







Western Tanager adult male by Imperial Birders, on Flickr


Western Tanager juvenile male by Imperial Birders, on Flickr

[Gord]

Fantastic sightings and great to have all that company especially during these times. You might be interested to know your two photos are of different-aged males. The top photo is a male that was born 2018 or earlier. The bottom photo hatched last year. Next year he will have a much brighter and extensively red head

[imperialbirders]

Hi Gord
Yes, that is interesting for me. Thanks. There was a female with the males but my shot of her was blurry.

Mike

[Randy]

That top bird is a stunner!! I had a young male at my place yesterday that looked much like your second bird but I'm jealous of that first bird of yours!