Last Thursday morning Jean and Mark saw a strange yellowish bird at the bird feeder which neither of them recognized. Jean could not find any mention in her bird books of an Eastern bird with that coloring. Mark took pictures of it which Jean sent to our friend Tom who is a serious birder asking if he recognized it. Tom told her it is a Western Tanager which rarely goes east of Kansas. Although it has been sighted previously in Cape May, this is the first sighting ever in Morris County.

As Jean and Tom were talking on the phone Saturday, the bird was at the bird feeder, so Tom immediately came over with his binoculars and telescope. The bird practically put on a show for him, and he got lots of great pictures of it. He asked us if he could tell several of his birding friends about it, so we agreed, and there has been a steady stream of birders coming to our deck to watch the bird. We were anxious it would not appear for them, but it has been there every time. This is somewhat exciting having the first sighting of a rare bird in our own yard.