Summer Tanagers Mating
As the Yellow-throated Vireo was moving away through the woods, I noticed a quiet female Summer Tanager sitting on the branch of a tall pine not far from the window. She called a quiet pik-a-tuk, and a warm rose-red male Summer Tanager flew to a branch very near her, then, within seconds, he flew up and fluttered over the female briefly. It all happened so quickly that I’m not sure they were mating, but think they must have been. He flew away immediately, but she stayed in the pine, moving from one branch to another, not searching for food, just perching, stretching out low and looking around, and calling pik-a-tuk softly.