While walking a newly blazed trail in our woods last month I heard an unusual bird call--one I do not recall ever having heard. So I scrutinized the area carefully for several minutes only to discover a male Scarlet Tanager singing away, appearing to be accompanied in song by several others, including the female, but no other adult males. It was reminiscent of a "bird band", as they seemed to be singing together and to each other.
Bird guides and other bird books tell that these birds prefer mature deciduous forests, and that is where I found them, but interestingly, the nest nearby and almost directly above was/is in a mature cedar tree. Our property has not had a skidder on it in 26 years and will never see another one.
In viewing the continued damage to our national forests by our very own United States Forest Service, in their zeal to "get the cut out", as well as herbiciding it half to death, it is likely there will be fewer and fewer tanagers nesting in national forests, so helping wildlife is up to us, brothers and sisters. Of course, this is yet another reason for supporting any and all wilderness designations.
To get the two attached pictures I had to crouch and hide behind trees, one after another, and because of the calisthenics involved while holding the camera, neither picture has high-quality resolution, however one can still recognize the birds. Enjoy.