One of the best treats we get in the spring here on the bluffs above the Little Maquoketa River Valley is watching the Scarlet Tanager. This beautiful bird spends the winters in northwestern South American tropical forests. Yesterday I spotted the first male of the season and today I was able to make this photo of the tanager in our big maple. They usually feed on insects, fruits, berries, and buds high up in the trees but come to the ground occasionally. They built the nest on a horizontal branch 20 - 30 feet above the ground. I will keep my eyes open for a female Scarlet Tanager during the next days. They are green-yellow colored and not so easy to spot between the fresh leaves on the trees.