When Computer Guy and I were sitting by the computer last week, waiting for something to download, he glanced up to say, “Look at that bird!”
I inched over to the window with my camera, while he quickly researched via his phone, and we discovered that a Hooded Oriole was at the hummingbird feeder. His mate soon joined him, and this was my first picture of them. The girl is a bit camouflaged at the top.
As C.G. read to me about this bird, my heart was beating fast. All my vague hopes and plans of attracting birds to my garden were becoming a reality, in the form of a bird I had never heard of, nor dreamed would make a visit.
And to think they were at the hummingbird feeder — how odd! But not at all, because they are known to like sugar water. The info page said to put out some oranges for them, which I promptly did, but they were ignored.
This pair has been coming every day. At the slightest movement I make, ten or fifteen feet away on the other side of the glass, they fly off to the snowball bush. But they aren’t nesting there….
Some hummer feeders don’t work for orioles, because the flower-shaped caps over the holes are too narrow, and/or make the opening too deep for them to get their beaks into. Mine is not this kind, but — neither is it an oriole smorgasbord such as I see you can buy at Plow&Hearth, with jelly dishes, syrup, and a fruit holder!
One evening when dusk was falling, I staked out my spot by the window and rested my camera against the pane, and when the birds arrived and started swigging down the syrup, I took dozens of shots in rapid fire, so that even though the distance was a bit much for my camera’s abilites, I was pleased to capture even somewhat blurry images of them. Now I can relax more and just wonder at these bright creatures, though I don’t think I can ever get used to them.
Gladsome Lights 
Oh, Oh….Orioles! I like the photos and thank you for the information about the kind of hummingbird feeder they can sip from. Maybe I could lure some up from the creek and laguna for a spot of sugar water. I’ll have to ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone has sighted them near.
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I love Baltimore Orioles which are in Ohio where I live, and in the Lake Chautauqua area where we have a cottage. We buy orange colored feeders for them which have cups for grape jelly which they love and a place to impale a few orange slices to attract them. I don’t know your hooded orioles but I think it’s great that they came to your garden.
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Oh my! Such a delight! I share your joy with this turn of events! My feeder is attracting squirrels … 😦 . Which encourages Sammy to bark and jump. He has accidentally broken two potted plants in his futile efforts! It’s so cool that these two dine together! Beautiful pics. Very special to think of them there.
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Nice pictures. So looking forward to seeing the new yard.
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So cool!! We have a Bullock’s Oriole that comes to stay each summer. Wonderful, beautiful, “orange lightning” is what I call them. They are fast movers. We don’t get them at feeders though, instead we notice them in the trees and they have quite an obnoxious call that identifies them to me immediately. Have fun watching and listening.
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I love the call of the Baltimore Oriole……You can listen here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/sounds
But I see they say there are other calls they make for aggression or warning of danger that are not so sweet…….
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Thank you, Kristi! I’ve been meaning to go there and research what birds are making which sounds around here…. I agree that the Baltimore Oriole has a lovely song. It’s not like anything I’ve heard locally.
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Worth time spending. Pretty birds. I have not seen them before. Thank you.
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how lovely!!! I don’t know if I have ever seen these, thanks for showing them to us!
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I’ve seen Baltimore Orioles, but very rarely. I’m planning to get a hummingbird feeder, so hopefully I can find one that would work for Orioles too. Thanks, Kristi, for the song recordings! Enjoy birdwatching, Gretchen. 🙂
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These are beautiful birds! They come so close to your home! I’ll have to look for them in the forests.
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Beautiful birds! I know you were excited to be able to get a picture!
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oooh! How beautiful! I’ve never heard of them at a sugar water feeder. I’ve been hanging orange slices and have never seen one. Thanks for the photo!
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Some of the things I’ve read about them make me think the oranges are to attract them, but then when they get to the feeders they like the jelly or sugar water best 😉 You should look online at pictures of oriole feeders – they are quite fancy!
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What a very sweet gift!
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