Red is the ultimate cure for sadness. 

~Bill Blass

I’ve been working in the shop on a project and, as was the case last week, the tanagers are still at it, although the mulberry supply is dwindling fast. I am surprised at how tolerant they are as I walk to and from the shop door, but I am happy they allow me to take a break from my chores and admire their redness. Here are a couple of shots of a male Scarlet Tanager that was chowing down on the berries yesterday. By the way, I think I have now seen at least three separate males in this tree based on their slight differences in yellow patches.

Male Scarlet Tanager scoping the branches for fruit (click photos to enlarge)

The berries that were easy to reach are mostly gone now, so it requires a little extra effort to grab one

The birds are hanging upside down or flying up from underneath the branch to grab berries

They usually pull off berry and stem and then perch nearby to chew up the berry and spit out the stem