The Cardinal that wasn't, and a Flickr group rec

[Celebration]

One reason I love to take pictures of birds is that I never know what I have until I look at it on the screen. To me, if it is a red flash, it is a cardinal, and if it will just light somewhere longer than a split second, I try to be a bit faster than the bird. It isn't really about photography, it is about being faster than the bird :rofl:

I know not know very much about birds, so when I realized I snapped a picture of the cardinal that wasn't, I posted it to the Bird Identification Help Group on Flickr, and the answer came back in less than 12 hours: Summer Tanager. I could have spent hours looking through my bird book trying to find it.

I highly recommend that flickr group for all of you that snap pictures of uncommon birds (although probably summer tanager is not that uncommon, I am just that ignorant).

[Cassandra]

1. I could have told you it wasn't a cardinal...

but I wouldn't have known what it actually was.

[Celebration]

2. well once I saw it on my screen I knew it wasn't

But I didn't realize it when I was taking the picture. But the odd thing is, I just read that it was recently moved from the tanager family to the cardinal family, but they still haven't changed the name.

[alfredo]

3. Has there been a change in the Scarlet Tanager status? Saw one a couple

weeks ago in Lexington Ky.

I wish I took this image.

[Celebration]

4. scarlet tanager was my first thought

When I realized it wasn't that, I went to the Flickr group. I don't believe the classification has changed for the scarlet tanager. But the "summer tanager" apparently has some cardinal characteristics, like a similar song.

Yes, too bad my picture wasn't close and detailed like this!

If I keep this up, it is always possible that I get into bird stuff more. So far I only really like most of them a lot, oh, except I do love bluebirds. :) I think.

[alfredo]

5. Think of yourself not as a bird watcher, but a dinosaur hunter.

[Celebration]

6. ha, you nailed it

Not a photographer, not a bird watcher, a dinosaur hunter..........yup, I relate. Alas, no dinosaur hunter DU groups.

[alfredo]

7. We have a bird watcher group, but they are just being modest.

[Mira]

8. I understand.

Had I taken this, I would think I have died and gone to heaven.
And would take up a new hobby, having reached the top in this one.

Where is Maestro, anyway?

[alfredo]

9. The bird is perfect too.

[Mira]

10. It surely is. It almost looks artificial or stuffed. N/T

[alfredo]

11. Perfection is important during the mating season.