I found the Summer Tanager singing this morning at the same time and place
described by Joel Claus below. I recorded the song, and loaded an excerpt
into the Audio Gallery on the MOU web site. In more than an hour of
searching for the bird, which was singing almost constantly in the nearby
tree tops, I was only able to get a brief glimpse of it as it flew out of a
tree. For much of that time, Larry and Yoli Sirvio joined me in the futile
attempt to see the bird. It moved frequently over a pretty wide area. At
10:00, it went silent, and I didn't hear it again before I left at 10:30.
I have to say that if I had just been walking along that trail without prior
knowledge of the Summer Tanager's occurrence there, I might well have
assumed that the song was that of an American Robin. The voices and song
patterns of those two species are very, very similar (but different). And
there's not a lot of difference between Summer and Scarlet Tanager songs.
A tip of the birding cap to Liz Harper for discovering this bird.
Julian
St. Paul
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Joel Claus" <jclau...@msn.com>
Date: Sunday, July 12, 2009 9:30 PM
To: <MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU>
Subject: [mou-net] Afton Summer Tanager Refound
I was able to relocate the first year male Summer Tanager reported by Liz
Harper about 7:15 this morning. I found the bird singing along the west
side of the "Africa Loop" of Trailrun race course well north of the
junction with the "Back40 Loop" and was able to watch it for about five
minutes before it moved west. It was maybe 75 yards south of where the
ski trail goes north from the race course at the north west corner of the
Africa Loop in the link below. Cool looking bird with a rose red head and
upper breast and yellowish belly. I also counted three singing Henslow's
sparrows on the walk in from the horse trail gate at the north end of the
park (take 50th street east of CR21 and watch for the gate on the right).
http://www.aftontrailrun.com/PDF_Files/course_map/2008_Afton_Map_Web.pdf
Thanks for posting this bird Liz!
Joel Claus
Eden Prairie
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:22:03 -0500
From: harp0...@tc.umn.edu
Subject: [mou-net] Possible 1st spring Summer Tanager at Afton State Park
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
I was out at Afton State Park today and heard and saw what I believe to
be a
1st spring Summer Tanager. Unfortunately, I was out running, not birding.
Is there anyone that frequently birds Afton that can check on this?? I
was
following the Afton trail race course (see link below) and the bird was
singing away just off of the trail west of where the course rejoins the
Africa loop after the Back 40 loop.
http://www.aftontrailrun.com/PDF_Files/course_map/2008_Afton_Map_Web.pdf
Thanks.
While you are out there, stop by and see (well, listen to) the Henslow's
Sparrows along the top of the Africa loop (usually hear 2-3 calling).
Liz
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