My first bird of this camping trip and man was it ever early in the trip!
As I was pulling into my remote (and beautiful) dispersed campsite yesterday afternoon with my trailer still attached to my pickup I spotted two male Western Tanagers on this old stump just a few feet away. And they stayed there, or nearby, for the entire time I was leveling and unhitching the trailer. So as soon as those two tasks were accomplished I maneuvered my pickup within range and spent the next 90 minutes photographing those two males and a female before I’d even been inside my trailer!
They were the tamest tanagers I’ve ever encountered, even in this remote spot where they would have little opportunity to become acclimated to vehicles or humans. This species is usually solitary so I thought it was quite unusual that the three adults were hanging out together for so long. I wonder if they’ll still be there today…
But things went to hell in a hand basket after that. They were my only good birds of the afternoon and evening and then I ran into technical problems while trying to find an image to process for this post. For some unknown reason I can’t preview my images – all I can see is their file numbers on my rarely used laptop. So this shot was picked randomly (it was actually the first and only one I looked at or processed). I’m sure I have much better and more interesting tanager photos that I’ll post in the future.
Another issue is processing photos on this inadequate laptop. I won’t know what this image really looks like until I get home.
And it’s cloudy out there this morning. Poop!
Oh well, at least I have a decent internet connection for the time being.
Ron
PS – Yes, after a $400 repair bill my trailer furnace worked just fine last night. It’s a damned good thing because it’s cold out there this morning this close to the continental divide between Montana and Idaho.
Feel free to post more random photos. This one’s a beauty.
Great photo Ron…hope your technical problems go away!!!
Love the shot. So glad you got the furnace fixed. Burrr!
I suspect if I had made a random selection the bird would have been as blurred as the background. Love that weathered wood, and the glorious colours of the tanager.
I am so glad that your trailer/heater/location are blissful.
Computers are a whole ‘nother question.
What a gorgeous shot!!!!! The bird is so beautiful and the weathered wood is wonderful!!! Congratulations on this one…Glad your furnace is working…it can get so darned cold in the mountains…
Ron, you did well. A very pretty bird. Glad you have heat. Thank you for your efforts to post this blog. Good luck going forward.
What a pretty bird!
Wow! What a way to start your trip! 👍 Absolutely stunning colors! Glad you had heat too.
Gorgeous photo. I like the odd ones, where the bird is not “in your face.” Weird, hunh? We have a pair of Western Tanagers nesting somewhere nearby, and I see both male and female in the garden every day. We also have about 50 Black-headed Grosbeaks who come to our feeder (50 may be an exaggeration, but they eat 20 lbs of sunflower seeds every two weeks, so there are many many) and a pair of Bullock’s Orioles that I hear but seldom see. Plus various warblers and a pair of Pacific Flycatchers nesting on a ledge of the barn. So it’s a rich bird-summer here. Hope your trip is a great one. Looking forward to your pictures.
Hi Ron, great start to your trip! I had an experience a couple of weeks ago with 3 Tanagers in the two honey locust trees in my front yard. I had never seen Western Tangers in town until then. The two males flitted about chasing the female around for a good fifteen minutes while my wife and I watched out our front picture window. It was one of the best bird shows we’ve had! Regarding preview on your computer, have you updated the operating system recently?
Thanks you guys. I can’t respond to all comments but wanted you to know that I’m reading (and appreciating) them.
Beautiful shot – you did well with your “inadequate laptop” – have experienced similar circumstances – hope it doesn’t last long!!
I’ve only been to Montana and Idaho once in my life, but sure did love it there. However, didn’t have a speck of wet weather the whole time. We have had family for the weekend with glorious weather, hope you benefit with good weather to come.
Beautiful photo and then I may add extraordinary after you related all the difficulties! Sometimes the ‘photo gods’ shine upon us! I would really be pleased to see this same photo after you touch it up and do your magic on the tail a bit. What a beautiful bird…just as striking as our Scarlett Tanager. I had the joy of observing a pair a few weeks ago that stuck around my yard area for five or so days. Really like the rear view of your bird. Sometimes those feathers lying there form an intriguing pattern that deserves attention. Glad the furnace worked…nothing worse than cold feet and a cold nose when trying to fall asleep! 😏
YES! It’s a gorgeous shot – you picked well! 🙂 The stump sets off the bird well with the only nitpick of the tail being in shadow. Glad the furnace is working – I was wondering about that and sure you didn’t want to spend the night cramped in the cab of the pickup…. 😉