Piranga

In my mind the Victoria Day long weekend marks the time when spring migration gives way to the breeding season in earnest. Today at Long Point and environs we were mostly on the hunt for breeding birds (i.e. Black Tern, Forster's Tern, Cerulean Warbler, Hooded Warbler). So imagine our delight when we came across this stunning second year make Summer Tanager. It paid to make a stop at Long Point P.P. to search for late migrants!

Summer Tanager

Of course it is only by courtesy that we even call it a "tanager" anymore; the AOU relocated the genus Piranga to the Cardinal family in 2009.