Sometime in late February or early March, this male Scarlet Tanager departed the forests of northwest South America (Colombia, Ecuador, or perhaps Peru) and began its journey north. The life of a migratory songbird from the neotropics means spending daylight hours refueling/resting in suitable habitat and flying (at night) around 150 to 200 miles a stretch. I've been visiting Pheasant Branch Conservancy nearly every day since March to document the parade of migratory birds that stopover there. My daily walks through the creek corridor are usually between 2 and 4 miles long depending on how much time I have and what birds I'm finding. The tanager and I finally met up this morning. His arduous journey is nearly over; perhaps he and his mate will find a good spot to nest at Indian Lake Park or Baxter's Hollow.
Location: Pheasant Branch
Observation date: 5/6/11
Number of species: 65
Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Cooper's Hawk
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager © 2011 Mike McDowell