Dreaming of Western Tanagers
They should be back in about a month. Can't wait!
In Flight (Western Tanager)
Did a bit of target practice today before our big trip back east next month. Less than two weeks left. Can't wait!
Western Tanager Portrait
Got a few more good poses of the western tanager on a fir tree today.
First Tanager of 2023 (Western Tanager)
Got this guy today in Linley Valley. Pretty harsh light so I did my best to shoot in the shade. Tried for the "Canager" but he hasn't shown up yet. Managed to get this image in a totally different location in the park.
Beak Full of Bugs 2022 (Western Tanager)
After the mating season the male tanager works hard to gather green caterpillars to feed to the young chicks.
Tanager Morning (Western Tanager)
Just out enjoying the morning shooting western tanagers not far from home.
Western Tanager in Flight
Here is one of the male tanager with wings down. Hard to catch as they kind of fly like a woodpecker and do the "tanager torpedo" most of the time.
Tanager Torpedo (Western Tanager)
Similar to MacGillivray's Missile but somewhat larger with different colors 🙂
Environmental Shot (Western Tanager)
Here is one in a bit more even light.
What is That Thing? (Western Tanager)
A beautiful male western tanager comes by to check out my speaker which is hanging on a low branch in a cedar tree. Not every tanager will come in this close. This guy is very friendly and cooperative for photo shoots.
Afternoon with "Mr. T" (Western Tanager)
Found a lovely cooperative western tanager today in Linley Valley. Took a while but they are finally back from Costa Rica.
Still Nice (Western Tanager)
There were a couple of western tanagers under the power lines near Morrell Lake today. No "super tanagers" but still lovely color with the dark green background.
Better Colors (Western Tanager)
Can't seem to get enough of these guys. Went to Cottle Lake in Linley Valley to play with the western tanagers today. Finally found one with a nice red head. Lots of orange headed ones this year.
Oak Branch Tanager (Western Tanager)
Went bunting hunting today and ran into this tanager sunning himself on a new oak tree branch. Not as red a head as my "Super Tanagers" but still pretty.
What Are You Lookin' At? (Western Tanager)
This one taken at Oliver Woods Marsh here in Nanaimo B.C.
Ready To Leap! (Western Tanager)
A male western tanager coils himself up and raises his tail in preparation to leap from an old dead tree branch.
One From the Archives (Western Tanager)
Here is another tanager image that was never published from last year. Still haven't been able to see one with a really red head this tanager season.
Missed Post (Western Tanager)
Missed posting this one from the other day. Enjoy!
Park Entrance Guardian (Western Tanager)
Found this handsome guy guarding the Burma Road entrance to Linley Valley today. It's kind of like bluebirds for me as I can never get enough of these birds.
First Spring Tanager (Western Tanager)
Here is a shot from a couple of days back. Found this western tanager on a ridge above the first swamp on Tanya Drive.
Almost Tanager Time (Western Tanager)
Should be seeing these handsome guys in less than a month here locally in Nanaimo in Linley Valley.
Another Tanager Image (Western Tanager)
Couldn't resist going back for another shot at the "super tanager" in Linley Valley. Still coming very close and being pretty cooperative. Had a bit of trouble getting him with a dark background today but still came out not too bad. Kind of strange that there is no sign of Mrs. Tanager yet. Only males singing so far.
Tanager In Cedar (Western Tanager)
Here is another image of that same tanager from a more conventional perspective. Just can't get enough of these guys especially when they are cooperative.
Low To The Ground (Western Tanager)
Think I found that "super tanager" that I was looking for today. This image taken on a fiddlehead about a foot off of the ground.
Angel Of The Morning (Western Tanager)
Lots of western tanagers showing up in Linley Valley right now. Here is one of the garden variety males. Hoping at some point this season for a "super tanager" like last year.
Super Tanager (Western Tanager)
Another image in the series from a couple of weeks ago.
Berry Nice (Western Tanager)
Found our tanager buddy again today snacking on salmon berries near the marsh.
Stop Lights (Western Tanager)
You know what I mean? Red, Yellow, Green.
Morrell Western Tanager
Lots of lovely western tanagers up at Morrell Bird Sanctuary yesterday. Funny thing is that no matter where you go they don't seem to have the bright red heads like they used to. Most every one has just a bit of orange on the head area. Must be a lack of that special insect they eat that causes the red condition. Not sure but definitely some sort of environmental change going on.
Welcome to The Jungle (Western Tanager)
Meanwhile, somewhere in the temperate rainforest near Nanaimo.
Cottle Lake Western Tanager
The tanagers are starting to show up in all of the usual hot spots around the lake now. The light seemed a bit less harsh today.
First Western Tanager 2017
Always nice to see the first western tanagers arrive in the late spring. The light was quite harsh today but I did my best.
Achival Tanager Image
I ordered a large format printer so I have been going over some archived images that I thought might be nice to print. Perhaps it is just my imagination but we just don't seem to be getting the tanagers with the nice bright red heads like we used to. They are still pretty of course but nothing like this guy.
Looks Like a Painting
Get a load of this one.Hardly used any filtering on it and it looks like a painting. Must have been the weird angle of light. Best enjoyed at full magnification.
Nice Natural Background
Gotta love those out of focus trees in the valley giving that nice dark background.
Cottle Lake Tanager (archival image)
Here is one from 2012 that I reworked this morning. I am having a bit of trouble getting any recent close ups of the tanagers as they seem to be getting wise to me and have been avoiding me lately. Hopefully my streak of bad luck won't last too long.
First May Tanager 2016
Always nice to see these guys back from Costa Rica. Some of them are real dandies this year.
The Better Half (Female Western Tanager)
The female Western Tanager is not as brightly coloured as the male but still quite lovely. Here she looks on as the male sings to me from another branch.
Hanging Around in The Cedars
There seems to be a new breeding pair of these guys every 500 feet or so at Linley Valley these days. Still not the reddest blush that I have seen but more than the last guy I photographed.
Through The Keyhole
Got another close up of a Western Tanager through the branches on the Burma Road side of Linley Valley yesterday. I almost didn't post this image but I kind of like the colours and the detail on the parts that were not obscured by the leaves. Taken with the 600mm + 1.4X.
Little Mountain Tanager
Went to Little Mountain near Parksville/Errington today. Ran into another very cooperative tanager. They seem to be everywhere this year..... Nice!
Tanager Town 2015 (Western Tanager)
Nice to see the Western Tanagers back from Costa Rica.
Cloudy Day Tanager
Even on a cloudy day Western Tanagers still rock!
Morrell Tanager
Nice to still be able to find Western Tanagers with their heads so red this time of year.
Caught in the Loop
In this shot it looks like the bird is caught in a loop of branches. Still working on that perfect background. Give me a few days - I'll get it yet. Gotta love May tanagers though. Such brilliant colors!
Shady Character
Went for a more environmental image on this one. This male western tanager spent quite a bit of time singing to me while being covered with leaves. Saw at least three males in different locations at the lake today.
First Tanager 2014
The boys are back in "Tanager Town" again. Not the greatest light. Guess I'll have to start using my flash extender again.
Last Tanager of the Season
This will probably be my last tanager image for this year. Not many of them around anymore as it is time for them to head back to Costa Rica. Had to do a bit of editing to the background and some clean up on the bird in this photo.
Brookwood Tanager
Here is one of my better tanager images from 2012. I had an unusual experience for about two weeks where this bird came quite close at a small pond near my house. Tanagers are mostly canopy dwellers and unless you use a special technique for luring them in are generally pretty hard to get close to for detailed images.
Dont Get Stung!
A male western tanager chows down on a black hornet. Still a few of these birds around but their colors are not as bright as earlier in the season.
July Tanager
In this image you can clearly see how the colors fade later in the season. The tanager's head tends to take on a more orange look.
Cottle Lake Western Tanager
Another Cottle Lake tanager. Not quite as brilliant as they were about a month ago.
Cottle Lake Female Western Tanager
Green on Green. A female tanager forages for bugs in the cedar trees at Cottle Lake near Nanaimo.
Female Western Tanager With Lunch
Here a female tanager chows down on a bee that she found in the cedar trees at Cottle Lake (May 26, 2013).
May Tanager
Saw this guy later in the day. Came in pretty close this time.
Parking Lot Tanager
This immature male tanager came down to sing for me at the parking lot near Cottle Lake yesterday. You can see that he has similar colors to the mature males but it will probably be next year before he develops a brighter form of yellow and red. Still pretty though. (May 22, 2013).
First of the Season
Here is a male western tanager photographed at Cottle Lake near Nanaimo B.C. May tanagers always have the brightest colors!
Tanager Torpedo 2023 (Western Tanager)
The young males with the orange heads are somewhat easier to photograph than the older red-headed males but they can still zip along pretty good when they want to.
Wings Up (Western Tanager)
Here is that young male tanager in a wings up pose. They only use their wings when they need to and seem to prefer being in torpedo mode most of the time.
