Scarlet Tanager in Wisconsin

I will often have a pop up photo on my iPad revealing a past memory.  Apparently Apple has this feature as a default enabled (and can be disabled if desired.). This morning a photo of a Scarlet Tanager popped up with an image that I had taken 6 years ago.  I had not seen one since – until today looking out into the densely treed area near the river behind our house.  The bright red in the distance really stood out even though it appears as just a small spot.  I was fortunate to have my camera with the 800 mm lens handy to capture the scene.  Here is the image from May 24, 2020 and today’s image May 24, 2026.  Needless to say, this must be their time to migrate!  And nature is consistent! Will have to be on the lookout every year on this day. He also has a similar pose, looking for insects like any good flycatcher.

In winter, Scarlet tanagers migrate to the montane forest of the Andean foothills of northwestern South America, passing through Central America around April, and again around October.  Male scarlet tanagers reach their breeding ground from mid-May to early June. Females generally arrive several days to a week later.  Scarlet tanagers are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight and then returning to the same general perch, in a hunting style known as “sallying“.  (iBird Pro-Wikipedia)