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| Orchard Oriole -- Parc Perlière -- Charleston, SC -- July 1, 2015 |
Until recently, this bold, lovely, lemony Orchard Oriole frequented our oriole feeder daily. When I first saw it, I thought "Warbler?!" But no, Orchard Orioles are the smallest among the orioles and this was simply a female (or perhaps a first year male not yet in breeding plumage). Originally, I thought female, but as the month progressed, I saw a few black feathers beginning to come out on his neck under the chin. You will not see that in these photos though. I spent many an early morning on the swing on the back deck and this bold bird would fly in and drink his fill from the feeder just a few feet away. We had an understanding: if I swung gently (and did not get up), he would come drink and perch prettily for me to admire him.
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| Orchard Oriole -- Parc Perlière -- Charleston, SC -- July 1, 2015 |
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| Orchard Oriole -- Parc Perlière -- Charleston, SC -- July 1, 2015 |
So why is he no longer my Favorite Backyard Bird this summer? Well, he has departed. I have not seen him in a week and with so many other birds to enjoy .... Perhaps, I should give the title of Favorite Bird to the young, cry-baby Red-tailed Hawk who shows herself (clumsily) from time to time. Yesterday, I watched her descend for a landing -- scary! I could not actually see the landing as it was behind some trees. She really did not look like she knew what to do so I doubt that it was graceful. We certainly know when she is around whether we can see her or not. Like many young Red-taileds, she cries a lot for attention. And the mockingbirds then usually deliver -- divebombing her. (I am guessing that this is a female because of her size -- she is HUGE!)
Speaking of Northern Mockingbirds, the family nesting in my Loropetalum by the front steps may qualify as Current Favorite Yard Bird. I just discovered the nest 2 days ago when I unknowingly flushed the mama off of the nest. She flew up to a branch in the pine and watched while I carefully moved some leaves to get a good look at her 3 mostly hairless and blind babies. And no, neither she nor her mate divebombed me. I have not been divebombed by a bird in my own yard in many years, not since I began feeding them. They know where their treats are coming from! I need to follow Nestwatching protocol so I will not be peaking into the nest until later in the weekend. You should not look into a nest any more often than every 3 or 4 days. Otherwise, it is simply considered too much disturbance. I hope to be able to get a picture this weekend. I estimated that the chicks were perhaps 2 (?) days old when I first saw them.
Who will be the next favorite yard bird? Good question! It will be either a rare bird or another bird that hangs out and captures my attention for awhile! So, so long Oriole (I miss our morning rendez-vous), au revoir Red-tailed, goodbye Mockingbirds, and hello __________ ?
