So, what is he?

I was so excited when this guy showed up at the backyard water pan. I had scrubbed it out the night before because it had grown slimy with black algae. So when I saw him the next morning, I was very thankful I had cleaned it up because he stuck around for a while, giving me a chance to get the camera. He might have been drawn to the shiny new clean water tray. The brag of the neighborhood...maybe not.
So what is he, though? Unfortunately, I took nine pictures and only three turned out even remotely well. But those pictures are still a little fuzzy, so it is hard to see some important details- like his beak.
He could be a Summer Tanager or a Purple Finch. (I know. Its red. I didn't name it.)

Having taken a moment to look at it again, I am going to call it a Summer Tanager. Judging by the size of this bird's eye, compared to the Purple Finch; and taking a closer look at the beak, it seems to fit the Tanager's phenotypical traits. There are a few other details, like a whitish ring around its eye and a more streamlined head that give me clues.

What a find! I'm just a simple backyard birder, so 'exotic' birds like this thrill me for days! For that matter, I still love to sit and watch Mourning Doves and Robins hop around my bread cubes.

I'll tell my grandkids about the day the Summer Tanager came to our house.