Western Tanager and Audubon Warbler

Western Tanager Audubon's Warbler

Western Tanager

Audubon's Warbler

Lake Tahoe

is home to a marvelous collection of flora and fauna but how many of us know what we are actually seeing? When I first started putting out bird feeders years ago, I remember saying to myself, “Look at all those birds!” Before long I realized that there were actually several different species of bird dining at my bird feeders and I could not name them.

Out came the binoculars and the bird book and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve learned to identify several birds both by sight and by listening to the songs and calls. This past month I had the good fortune to spot two birds that I’ve never seen before and these I will share with you today.

The Western Tanager is a black and yellow bird with a red head, and sports white wing bars. This is the breeding male. The female Tanager is duller, mostly greenish-yellow with a grayish back and wings and less noticeable white wing bars. This bird is abundant around Lake Tahoe but surprisingly hard to spot, given his bright colors. Probably the best indication that you’re in the presence of a Western Tanager is by knowing his song. Click the SOUND button above to be taken to CornellLab All About Birds to hear this bird's song and countless others.

Western Tanagers eat fruits and insects and mainly forage in foliage, which is why you must look up to see them. They nest in large, mature trees, at points greater than 10 feet off the ground. Bring your binoculars! I heard him long before I saw him

Another bird I heard for a month or so before I found him was the warbler. Around the beginning of June I began noticing a song that I did not recognize and I could not find the bird making the sound. I carry a digital recorder with me on my walks and record bird song that I hear, hoping that eventually I’ll be able to identify the bird. One day I was able to spot him! A distinct bird, he was gray and white with bright spots of yellow. My trusty bird book pointed me to the Audubon’s Warbler and I confirmed the identification by his song.

(Now I use a smart phone to record and ID the bird at the same time. An app you MUST have if you are serious about bird watching is Merlin Bird ID, also by CornellLab. These tools are free; however I periodically donate to the organization because I have learned SO much more by using them. Be forewarned, before long you will be an addicted bird watcher and excitedly adding new birds to your Life List!)

This pretty bird dwells in open coniferous forests in the summer, foraging for insects in the outer tree canopies. They build a cup nest in a tree and lay 4-5 eggs. In the winter, they often travel in large flocks, eating berries in warmer climates than Lake Tahoe. It would be truly magical to see a large flock of these stunning birds.

A good field guide is essential to being able to identify the birds that you see. I refer to “A Field Guide to Western Birds”, Roger Tory Peterson, sponsored by the National Audubon Society. There are also apps for your smart phone.

An essential app that I use to identify basically all things nature, is iNaturalist. For the most part, we always have our phones with us so we can open this app, snap a pic or two of a leaf, a flower, a tree, an insect and the app will tell you what it is. The app keeps track of your observations, and shares them with the iNaturalist community of enthusiasts.

Hopefully I’ve succeeded in inspiring the sleuth in you and fueled a desire to know more so grab your binoculars and let’s get birding!

Toree Warfield is an avid nature lover, and writes this column to teach and stimulate interest in the marvels that surround us.