Although maybe not a rarity among birdwatchers....I have only seen one in my entire life. A Scarlet tanenger took up residence here for about a week. The bird never became part of the garden feeding ritual. It kept to himself high in the top of the surrounding trees thay produce these little seeds that seem to be encased in flat round cellophane like leaflets. These trees also produce a host of other first time birds for me like a black and white warbelers and some small greenish birds I have not been able to identify.
Seeing the Scarlet Tanager is a memory that should last a lifetime. They are one of the most beautiful birds going. Congratulations on the sighting.
I have never seen one of these beauties but I recall a posting from a member on another forum that while she was at a firing range, she was flabbergasted to see two of these guys sitting on the fence bordering the range seemingly unperturbed with all the shooting going on.