I’ve been hearing a beautiful, unfamiliar singer along my morning walk…. finally caught sight and got a picture  of him

and her.   It took me a week to discover they are Summer Tanagers. The resources say it is not uncommon. I wonder why I’ve never seen one before? Have you? Do we just see a red bird and assume it is a Cardinal? I’ll be looking closer from now on!

New to me also is this Red Eft out for a walk too. The best I can discover… it is the juvenile form of an aquatic newt. Hatches into a Tadpole type form with external gills and teeth (ouch!)… changes and spends 2 or 3 years as a Red Eft living entirely on land… returns to the water changes again to become an adult. It is a member of the Salamander family. Who knew??

I’m wondering if there are some years that favor specific species. Last spring/summer I saw many many box turtles on walks… this spring/summer few box turtles but many of these Red Efts… I wonder what will be next.