First time

[Winelover]

A partial team of Baltimore orioles, showed up yesterday.







Been trying to attract them since we moved to Arkansas, five years ago.


Had an Orchard Oriole, the day before.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Good job finally luring them in for a photo op!
Those are some pretty amazing looking birds and some great camera work

 

[S Mac]

We are probably 40 or so miles north of you and we have them every year. Wife mentioned seeing some a couple of days ago.

 

[fiver]

the orchard Oriel looks like a seed eater.

 

[Winelover]

Good job finally luring them in for a photo op!
Those are some pretty amazing looking birds and some great camera work

Have had a lot of practice. Always keep a camera and firearm, handy. Shot more stuff with the camera, though.

 

[Winelover]

the orchard Oriel looks like a seed eater.

Literature makes no mention of them being seed eaters. I have two feeders filled with Black Oil Sunflower seeds......they haven't landed on them nor are eating on the ground underneath them.

Prefers orchards or open woods, hence its common name. Eats insects until wild fruit starts to ripen. Summer resident in Arkansas. Often nest alone; sometimes nests in small colonies. Parents bring their young to jelly and orange half feeders, just after fledging.
Many think the birds have left during the summer, but they are concentrating on finding insects to feed their young. Often migrates with Baltimore Orioles.

Here are a few photos of the more colorful seed eaters, that were here, this week. Notice the heavy beak.



Rose Breasted Grosbeak (male)



Rose Breasted Grosbeak (female)



Blue Grosbeak (male)

 

[Winelover]

The rest of the Baltimore Oriole team showed up yesterday. I counted eight males, at one time, along with a juvenile and at least one female. Managed to get a photo of her.

 

[Wasalmonslayer]

Winelover,
I have to say those are amazing looking birds!!
The only good looking birds around us that I have found in central Washington are Mallard ducks, pheasants, California quail, and the occasional Robin.
Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[KHornet]

Some super looking pics here!
Thanks for posting.

Paul

 

[Winelover]

Thanks.
BTW...........those were all hand held camera shots, no tripod. Must have a steady hand from years of handgun shooting or visa versa.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

I wish I could take pictures. We usually see Scarlet Tanagers, Cardinals, Oriole.

 

[fiver]

man we get Robins good lord do we get Robins.
it would probably surprise a lot of people just how many Robins are up in the mountains in various places.
I will occasionally see Doves up in some of the draws and such at 7-8,000' when I'm grouse hunting in the fall, but the Robin's are the first in last out birds of the year.
we get a lot of little finches around here, and the occasional Hummingbirds come through.

 

[Winelover]

We get robins by the droves....usually Spring and Fall. I get a few in the food plot. They stay closer to town and golf courses for the manicured lawns and the worms they prefer. Mourning doves stay all year and usually have a dozen of pairs, at various times.

 

[Winelover]

Just took this one of an Indigo Bunting.......another colorful seed eater. Similar to the Blue Grosbeak but little smaller and thinner, body and beak, wise.

 

[JWFilips]

The winter here just wouldn't let go but as of the 1st of May we have had good weather!
This morning my wife said she saw an oriole fly by. Now it is about 3 pm and we have a nice group gathered in our crab apple tree. Counted 5 males and 4 females. We get them each year ...they seem to love the Crab and Regular apple blossoms but really relish our large Tulip Poplar flowers. I like to cut pieces of colored yarn up and lay it in the yard. They pick it up and use it for building their nests Then in the fall you can see were they nested because of the bright color yarn!

I didn't have a long lens at the house today so I had to blow up this from a normal 50 mm lens
but it shows a male feeding on the blossoms

 

[Winelover]

Be careful what you wish for...........their eating me out of house and home.

Going through a pound of grape jelly a day, plus at least two oranges.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

I would gladly feed them. If they would stay around. 100lbs. a week of corn all winter for our deer. Why not feed the birds also.

 

[Winelover]

We are getting abnormal amounts of Baltimore's, in our area. Hard time finding grape jelly and oranges at the supermarkets.

 

[S Mac]

Back to birding, saw my first Barn Swallows of the year today, neat little birds.

 

[Mike W1]

No pix to share but the orioles consumed 4 quarts of grape jelly and that was just yesterday. The Orchard variety don't touch our seed feeders. Some of both have been on the Hummingbird feeder but aren't touching the Orange Liquid feeder a few yards away, maybe because it's hanging closer to the jelly feast.