Jensen yard bird resolution

["Clay Johnson" <cjohnson at easilink dot com>]

Hi All,

 

Thanks to all of you who took time to offer opinions or comments when we
asked for input about our "Jensen Mystery Bird".  I should especially
mention Milt, Mark, Cliff and Lisa, Rick, Pomera, and of course Kristin,
who straightened me out when I sent the photos to the wrong address,
then did an analysis based on my written description, all before anyone
else even had the time to respond!

 

My best guess (which I withheld when asking for help, so as not to bias
your examination) was that the bird was a female summer tanager.
However, I was troubled by the overall greenness and the absolute lack
of any crest-like shape.and was not at all confident the bird even was a
tanager.   Those of you who responded were in agreement about the
tanager part, and given the large bill, I decided I was willing to write
the bird down (in this little game we play with ourselves) as a female
summer tanager.  

 

I'd like to add a couple of things.  .  A week so after the mystery bird
showed up for her photos and departed, we had an influx of western
tanagers show up in the same elderberry bush, and it the dramatic
difference in bill size/shape was obvious.  Cliftia and I had only seen
one summer tanager before, a male (so obvious) last year at Bosque Del
Apache in New Mexico.  This is the fourth time in the past few years
that we've driven long distances to see some exotic bird.only to have
the thing show up a few months later at our house in Jensen.  I swear
we're not smuggling them home!  Thanks to all.it is wonderful to be in a
network with such great people!

 

Clay and Cliftia

 

 


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