Has anyone noticed?

If you live in Utah you may be noticing something,

yellow,

with black wings,

two wing bars,

and a red head.

That is slightly smaller than a robin.

Tanner was certain he had seen it at a pet shop but, it is a wild, naturally occurring bird. They have always been here but, these birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees; inconspicuous.

This year for some reason (perhaps the wet and late Spring) they have been found, in very high numbers, on the benches and in the valley. It seems to me that everyone is talking about them. Usually the conversations start with "I saw the most amazing bird!"

And they are amazing.

Here are a few interesting facts about the Western Tanager.

• The Western Tanager breeds farther north than any other member of its mostly tropical family, breeding to nearly 60°N in the Northwest Territories. 
• The red pigment in the face of the Western Tanager is rhodoxanthin, a pigment rare in birds. It is not manufactured by the bird, as are the pigments used by the other red tanagers. Instead, it must be acquired from the diet, presumably from insects that themselves acquire the pigment from plants. 
• This species was first recorded on the Lewis and Clark expedition(1803-1806). 
• A group of tanagers are collectively known as a "season" of tanagers

Have you seen any at your home?