A couple of weeks back while birding south of Williams in the Kaibab National Forest I caught a glimpse of this colorful little fellow:
This picture doesn't do it justice at all, but it's a Western Tanager visiting from Central America for the summer. Despite the bright colors it was remarkably hard to spot in amongst the oak trees and thick leaves. I kept hearing what I thought was an American Robin loudly calling from one particularly dense stand of trees. Only when the source moved out into the late afternoon sunlight did I realize what I'd found.
There's no need to drive to Williams to see tanagers, though. I've seen these fiery little birds around Flagstaff a few times this year, mostly north of Buffalo Park down in the oak groves just as the trail drops off the mesa. If you listen for what sounds like a "robin with a sore throat" kind of song and then slowly scan the foliage in close to the trunks you may spot one. Be careful not to confuse their song with Black-headed Grosbeaks, which are often seen in the same habitat and who's song is also decidedly robin-like!
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