One of my most elusive subjects.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Three days ago this first year male Bullock’s Oriole appeared from out of nowhere while I was photographing other birds in a remote area of northern Utah. Typical of orioles on those rare occasions when they do show up, he spent about five seconds on this sumac bush while he was checking me out and then he was gone.
He appeared at the same time as the female Western Tanager I posted photos of a few days ago so at first I thought they were a mated pair of orioles. But later I realized that the bill shape of what turned out to be the female tanager wasn’t right for her to be an oriole. I was fooled in part because of the coincidence of the two similar and somewhat unusual birds appearing at the same time.
This part of the sumac may not be the most attractive perch but I’ll appreciate and post photos of Bullock’s Orioles on almost any natural perch.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
When he took off he headed directly toward the female tanager about 20′ away but by the time I took my eye away from my viewfinder I couldn’t locate him and I never saw him again. Just another oriole being elusive.
Years ago, soon after I began photographing birds, I became enchanted with Bullock’s Orioles because they nested in my neighborhood every spring so they were regular visitors to my back yard. I loved watching them and hearing them chattering during the endless hours I spent working in my garden. But then nearly a decade ago they stopped showing up and I’ve missed them very much.
But eleven days ago as I looked out my kitchen window this female Bullock’s Oriole landed on my hummingbird feeders. I was so excited to see her I took a few cell phone photos through my very dirty window.
I can’t even remember the last time I’ve seen an oriole in my yard but it’s been a very long time so it didn’t take me long to add orange halves and grape jelly to my feeder setup. But as far as I know she never came back and neither did any other orioles.
Have I told you that orioles have been elusive for me?
Ron
Note:
My garden has come a long way in the eleven days since this photo was taken. For example I have more rhubarb than my entire neighborhood can eat and my nine tomato plants at the rear of the garden are now much larger and they’ve been flowering for nearly a week. In my household we’re addicted to BLT’s made with garden tomatoes (as far as I’m concerned supermarket tomatoes barely rise to the level of garbage) and yesterday a friend told me about a local independent meat market that features excellent bacon.
We can hardly wait for the BLT’s.
Like Stephen, I’m a day behind here … but I’ve had your same experience of a Bullock’s (and Hooded) Oriole showing up either just before or just after a Western Tanager. Always separated by some small distance. It’s an odd and lovely thing!
Ron,
I know I’m a day late (old history) but I had the same experience with a bullock’s oriole a couple of years ago and a couple of years into my following your blog. One time appearance in the back yard… so I went to the bird feeder store (WBU) and bought the whole deal as you described.
Never saw it again!
Rats,
Stephen
I’m currently in Utah. At Bear Lake park. It’s gorgeous. We are in a crowded state park (boooo) but are doing our best to just enjoy nature. We didn’t realize it at first but we are very close to a Uinita (spelling? Pronunciation?) Groud Squirrel nursery. We saw her and made sure to give her room. But then six pups popped their heads up out of a hole halfway between us and her. So cute! We’ve had to fend off several boys who were intent on sticking sticks in the hole. Grrrr what kind of people are we raising?????
It’s that time of year for baby ground squirrels, Arwen. I’ve been seeing them for several weeks now.
Yes, the Bear Lake area is quite beautiful although it’s been some time since I’ve been there.
Beautiful! That takeoff shot is definitely of a bird on a mission! Also, I’m impressed that you got the backyard shot. I’m never quick enough to my cell phone — even though I washed my windows in anticipation.
By the way, I’d happily take some of the extra rhubarb (and tomatoes) off your hands. helping helping helping 😉
I’m usually not quick enough with my cell phone either, Marty. I just happened to have it handy – which I usually don’t since I don’t think I have to be tethered to it like a lot of people do.
I’ve gotta get my windows washed…
I’ve only seen one male adult. Elusive for me, too.
I planted rhubarb last year on a lark and not sure how to prepare it. Any ideas?
Wow, that must have been a huge lark to hold an entire rhubarb plant on its back.
Sorry. No I’m not…
Strawberry-rhubarb pie is excellent but my favorite is warm rhubarb cobbler. With ice cream on top.
After a brother had a mishap preparing it, rhubarb is always known as ‘thumb’ in our family. Thumb and custard is a favourite.
You crack me up, EC.
Speaking of thumbs. When I first started teaching in 1970 I inherited an entire collection of zoological samples preserved in formaldehyde in bottles. One of the large bottles contained a collection of various mollusks (octopus, squid, clams, oysters, snails, slugs, etc) and among them was a human thumb. The end of the bone had obviously been crushed in some kind of accident. I never did find out the origins of that thumb and I always felt sorry for whoever lost it. Losing your opposable thumb is a very big deal.
Perhaps the thumb’s owner is preserved in a bigger bottle (or bottles) in other collections. Sorry about that – sometimes my mind propels me down dark paths…
I was referring to the lark, not the rhubarb.😁
Rhubarb is known as “pie plant,” and rhubarb pie (sorry Ron, I’m a purist on this one) is my very favorite type of pie. I like it just stewed with sugar and a little bit of clove — with or without vanilla ice cream. Rhubarb jam is really good, but you’ll need to add pectin or mix it (gasp!) with a high-pectin fruit.
What a beauty. I would mourn their absence from my yard too – and was wondering about habitat loss.
I am emphatically with you on the subject of tomatoes. Home grown ones are bliss. I happily eat them in things, on things and just as fruit. The supermarket substitute is barely, reluctantly edible.
EC, I can’t believe that folks buy those supermarket abominations, much less put them in their mouths.
Very nice oriole shots. Habitat change along the Jordan River. There are so many houses by the river now, the farmland is gone. The Jordan River seems to still have orioles but I guess they don’t have reason to venture far from the river habitat. I only get orioles when I am weathering and releasing an oriole. The weathering oriole seems to call them in. I put a feeder out similar to one of yours with grape jelly, sugar water and orange half but never get takers. I change it weekly but give up a month after releasing. My oriole feeder was up while I was weathering an oriole this year and the starlings ate the jelly every day but I did not ever see the orioles on it. This year I took the oriole to Little Dell for release. I am so impressed with the habitat there it is becoming my favorite release site for adult birds.
Burdoo? You are good at subliminals!
April, I live near the Jordan River so maybe that’s what’s happened to ‘my’ orioles. There’s lots of new housing down there.
Lovely bird. You must feel about the bullock’s as I feel about the orchard oriole. My spring is complete if I see that deep russet color at my feeders. Fortunately I have been lucky enough the past several years that I get one or two that must nest in the vicinity but they tend to depart much earlier than the Baltimore’s. You do have a hefty size garden there! And yes…absolutely nothing beats the summer BLT’s!
Kathy, Because of my bad back I don’t plant as much in my garden as I used to but I do plant all of the “essentials”, including lots of tomatoes.
Memorial Day greetings to all – even the birds. Very nice photos of the Oriole. They really are elusive, but one time I had one all to myself near one of our lakes perched on the top of a tree where I must have taken fifty or more photos.
I that a mountain in the upper right hand corner of your backyard photo?
‘Is that a mountain in the upper right hand corner of your backyard photo?
Yes Everett, it’s one of the taller mountains in the Wasatch Range.
Nice! Glad he cooperated – for a bit anyway.. 🙂 The take-off shot certainly shows an “intensity” of purpose.
Whatever we get has more orange in it – they, as well as the Gold Finches and Yellow Warblers are starting to arrive here just in time for a heat wave – may get into the low 90’s later in the week – UGH!
“Whatever we get has more orange in it”
Those would be fully adult males, Judy. First year males are more yellow than orange and they also have almost white lower bellies.
We’re supposed to reach 95° by Thursday. Ugh is right.
Thx – I was “sure” what we get had to be Bullocks BUT! 😉 Don’t even need that kind of heat at this time of year…. 🙁
Magical. And I can well understand how the elusiveness adds to the sense of wonder… Beautiful photos, Ron!
” I can well understand how the elusiveness adds to the sense of wonder”
Exactly, Alison. Sort of a corollary of the old adage “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Love the flight shot. Question. It looks like there is a shadow word written in the grass just behind the feeder pole. Is this just an artifact of shadow play on the grass?
“Is this just an artifact of shadow play on the grass?”
I see what you mean, Burdoo.
But it’s just an artifact of me mowing my lawn left to right for so many years that grooves have been made in the soil that show up in the grass, compounded by the fact that I’ve told the kid who now mows my grass to mow it top to bottom rather than left to right.