Baltimore Orioles

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Peteyboy

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Currently have 2 sets of Baltimore Orioles that must be nesting nearby.  Any time we have seen them has only been for a day or two as they were passing through, but this year they have been here for 3 weeks, so I guess they will be hanging around.  The males have to be one of the prettiest birds in North America and has a song to match,,, a real joy to see and have around.
 
We have seen them here in SW Missouri also.  Not too common a sight to us but they are beautiful.  As for songs we love the Cardinals but our absolute favorite is that great pretender - the Mockingbird.  We usually have one every season that sits on a pole next to the house and serenades us for what seems like hours on end.  He also enjoys our feeders and bird bath too.
 
We are fairly new to birdwatching and enjoying trying to spot the birds here in the US.

Went on a trip from Vegas to see the blooming Saguaros and were so happy to spot a tiny elf owl hiding in a hole jn one of the cacti.  Made our day!
 
An interesting piece of trivia is that contrary to popular belief, the Baltimore Oriole did not receive that name either because it was first found in Baltimore, or because it was particularly common in Baltimore.

Rather, it was named the "Baltimore-Bird" by an English naturalist named Mark Catesby in 1731 because its bright orange and black colors were the same as the family colors of the Baltimore family, the English family of Lords and Ladies who ruled the colony of Maryland.

Joel
 
Where are you located?  I'm in MD and would love to see one here.  53 years and none yet.  Have you considered feeding them? 
 
Pugapooh said:
Where are you located?  I'm in MD and would love to see one here.  53 years and none yet.  Have you considered feeding them?
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We get them in our yard in northern Illinois. They will come to feeders, if you provide the right food. The like oranges (cut in half), and grape jam. I put the jam in some of the orange peel halves,after the eat the pulp. They also like sugar water, mixed 1 part sugar to four parts water. They have trouble eating from a hummingbird feeder, but there are oriole feeders on the market.

Our orioles have learned how to eat from hummingbird feeders. They rip the little yellow flowers off of the feeders, and throw them away. We have to replace 8 to 10 of those flowers every year. A real PITA.

Joel
 
Pugapooh said:
Where are you located?  I'm in MD and would love to see one here.  53 years and none yet.  Have you considered feeding them? 
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I'm on the Eastern Shore, and I've never seen one here either.
 
Pugapooh said:
Where are you located?  I'm in MD and would love to see one here.  53 years and none yet.  Have you considered feeding them?
Click to expand...

We are in Western Pa.  They don't seem to be very picky eaters,,, they eat about any suet cake and drink from the hummingbird feeder.  They have also been beating themselves against the windows on the front of the house.
 
kdbgoat said:
I'm on the Eastern Shore, and I've never seen one here either.
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Actually, it is very likely that both of you have seen Orioles. However, there  is a distinct difference between seenig an oriole and noticeing an Oriole. Let me tell you a story.

Years ago, before I retired, I was sitting in my office when my boss walked in and started described an "odd looking bird" that he had seen the previous evening while walking in the park. I immediately knew that the bird he was talking about was a Red-winged Blackbird, and I broke out laughing.

"Are telling me that you've never seen one of those before?"
  "Yes, I've never seen one before."
"Impossible. You must have seen one before."
    "No way. I've never seen one before."
"OK, come with me."

There was a wetland behind the building, and I took him to the back door. I opened it and asked him to tell me how many of them he could find. At that point, he broke out laughing too. there had to be at least 20 of them there.

That was when he learned the difference between seeing and noticing. Later that week, he bought a bird book and a pair of binoculars, and started noticing birds.

Joel
 
Since I retired in 2012, we spend a lot of time on our back porch, which is all windows on 3 sides and gives us a super view of the back yard, which is trees and lawn with no other houses in sight.  Since then I have been "noticing" the bird population and can't wait to see a new bird stop by.  We have a book of Pennsylvania birds on the table and with the help of my binoculars, have checked off about half the book with our sightings.  The pileated woodpecker showed up yesterday and went to work on a stump like a chain saw.
 
No, it's not a matter of noticing. I see quite a few red wing blackbirds, and piles or robins. An oriole would stand out pretty good here.
 
How funny am I?
I saw Baltimore Orioles and thought this would be about the baseball team. :p
That's what happens when you live in Virginia, and the Orioles  are your husbands favorite team.
28 years ago they were on the tv while I was in labor, so my husband could watch the game.
 
I am in Maryland and have not seen an Oriole.

Hubby did  when  he was young, In Essex.  Red  Wing Blackbirds.........Yes, but  only in rural areas  around here that grow acres  of  corn.
 
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