Migrating Baltimore Oriole at the Jelly Feeder

Baltimore OrioleChris was ecstatic.

Cape Cod: Female Baltimore Oriole

Female Baltimore Oriole

Red Bellied Woodpecker Eating an Orange

Red Bellied Woodpecker Eating an Orange


We're still getting a few orioles coming by, but it doesn't look like we'll have an oriole nest. It could be because all the other birds have found the food we put out for the orioles. Here a red bellied woodpecker is at the orange and even the orange half filled with jelly. They also are switching back and forth from the peanut flavored suet to the jelly for a good old fashioned pb&j!

Later in the day, a male oriole returned, but we haven't seen a female yet in our yard.

Oriole Update

 

 

The Baltimore Orioles have returned and are occasionally feeding at the oranges or jelly. This one is at one of Chris' orange halves with some of the orange scooped out and replaced with grape jelly. She tries hard to accomodate different tastes.

We are still hoping for an Oriole nest.

Baltimore Oriole eating an orange

Baltimore Oriole
Chris is ecstatic. We've put out oranges in late April for three years now. Each year, the orioles would build nests in a tree over the lake, but ignore our food. Today, we had our first oriole eat an orange.

Baby Oriole

After quite a bit of searching, Chris found the baby oriole in a tree. The brightly colored male Oriole is still feeding this fledgling which helps us keep track of the baby while it hops and takes small practice flights between branches and even changes trees.

Empty Nests

It's a bit of a sad day around our house. We didn't see the orioles feeding the baby birds this morning although we heard a baby oriole chirping. Around noon, Chris found a baby oriole two trees away from the nest being attended to by the male oriole. It still looks too small to fly to us but it must have. We didn't see it in the evening. It seems too soon to leave the nest to us.



We went around the front of the house in the evening and checked on the wren house but it appeared empty. We did see a few baby wrens flying around the trees with the parents but they were too fast to photograph. One landed on an electrical wire but that's no place for a baby bird.

 

While it's nice to see the babies grow, it happens so quickly and we'll miss them.
Perhaps we'll see the parents in the Caribbean this winter. 

Finally, A Baby Baltimore Oriole

Last year, we had a Baltimore oriole nest in the yard but never saw the baby birds. We've been watching and waiting and finally saw a baby out of the nest being fed. There are at least two and we'll be monitoring nervously because the nest hangs over the water and the babies are hopping between branches but can't fly yet.

Birding on Flip Flop Friday

We relaxed a bit on our dock on National Flip Flop day. Some cedar waxwings were catching bugs over the lake. The mother oriole was looking for food to feed the babies that we can hear but not see high overhead. Some turtles got into the spirit and sunned themselves on the float island.

Two Waxwings


Female Baltimore Oriole

Great Blue Heron flying overhead

Blue Jay in the water feature

Three Turtles relaxing in the sun

Late Spring Birds

 

 

 

With the spring warbler migration ending and the weather warming up, we are spending more time in our backyard and less time going out birding.  Our feeders and birdbaths keep enough interesting birds in the area and Chris has become the Kool-aid mom for birds.

The baby ducks are growing, but all 11 and Mom still fit on the floating island and have consumed all the expensive plants we had on it.  We are waiting for baby orioles to appear.   The night heron keeps to himself and occasionally fishes from the dock.

Orioles 3 Titmice 2

Orchard Oriole (Male)


Baltimore Oriole (Male)


Baltimore Oriole (Female)


Tufted Titmice

We took the boat out and encountered an Orchard Oriole high in a tree. At first we thought it was a Robin but we checked with the binoculars and were happy to see this oriole.

The Baltimore Oriole nesting pair continues in our yard. The female isn't out as often as the male. We are hoping for baby orioles soon.

The family of tufted titmice continues in the yard as well.

Baltimore Oriole

In the morning, this oriole's song sounds like "I'm the prettiest bird."

Birds from Tallman Mountain State Park, Piermont NY

Baltimore Oriole

Carolina Wren


Song Sparrow

 

Female Red Winged Blackbird



When we stayed in Piermont, NY our B&B was close to the entrance of Tallman Mountain State Park. We took a brief walk and encountered a few birds. There was quite a bit of singing with the wren, the oriole, red-winged blackbirds and song sparrow competing for our attention.

The yellow warbler got our attention by its color not song.

Yellow Warbler

Spring Migrants

Baltimore Oriole 

Common Yellowthroat 

American Redstart

In May, many migrating birds fly through New Jersey. While we like Cape May, Garret Mountain and other birding hot spots, our neighborhood park is a short walk away and an okay spot to see a few birds high in the treetops. We've got a glimpse of a scarlet tanager two mornings in the past week, but no photos (yet). We also saw a Tennessee warbler. The Baltimore Orioles are active and we've also seen an American Redstart and a common yellowthroat.

Spring Warblers and More at Garret Mountain

Garret Mountain in West Patterson is a good place to see many migrating warblers in the Spring. We went on Saturday and saw several of these darling birds.

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Wood Thrush

Another Wood Thrush (previously unidentified)

Black and White Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Veery

Ovenbird

American Redstart

This bird stayed fairly high in the trees and was difficult to photograph. He wasn't nearly as cooperative as the palm warbler.

Baltimore Oriole

Chris was glad to see her first oriole of the year. We've been hearing some at home but they have not come to the jelly, oranges, or nectar we have left out. We finally did see one in our neighborhood last evening but not in our yard yet.

We're ready for Spring

 

 

 

Here are some photos from last spring. We are tired of the winter weather, the snow and the rain. We are looking forward to spring when the orioles return, the goldfinches are brighter, and there are baby birds around.