Summer tanager apparently spotted in Oak Harbor

For all of you bird watchers out there, my husband, Ed, and I have seen what appears to be a summer tanager, an unusual bird for the Pacific Northwest. A bright red body with dark wings, brighter than the scarlet tanager, more orange in color.

It had flown straight into one of our windows after drinking from one of the bird baths.

It was shaken and stunned. I set it up on our picnic table and wrapped a Kleenex around the body. After several minutes, it flew up into our fir trees, where other tanagers were at the time.

We live just outside the city on of acreage off Fort Nugent Road. If anyone else has seen them or knows more about them, please write in.

We compared the bird to our bird book. A lovely red bird, out of its southern habitat.

Marilyn Bennett

Oak Harbor