A flash of red appeared in the middle of the road in front of us as we were leaving a wildlife management area. My first thought was Cardinal, but the shape wasn’t quite right.
A peak through my zoomed out lens revealed that it was a Summer Tanager! He flew to a nearby tree and I got a couple shots out the window. There was room to pull over and I stealthily got out of the car. The perch he selected wasn’t the best for a clear view, but his color in the patch of sun out-weighed a stick across his face for me.
Turns out there were actually three or four of them zipping around, including at least one female. The female is yellow and her color was too close to the the leaves where she landed and too far away to get a focused shot. Then they all scattered into the woods when another car approached.
Kiawah has a street named Summer Tanager – I’ve wondered what they look like! Beautifully captured!
Now that you know maybe you will spot one. You certainly have the habitat for them. Thanks, Tina!
Awesome sighting and timing, Ellen! 🙂
Quite a treat to see this beauty!
Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
Nature photography is often has a dose of luck involved!
What a colourful little beauty!
Sure is, Liz, the red is so bright it almost seems fake.
Nice catch!
Paz
Thanks, Paz. It often pays to go slow through the woods.