![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bullocks-oriole-8620-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"bullocks-oriole-8620-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nOne of my most elusive subjects.<\/p>\n
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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<\/em><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He appeared at the same time as the female Western Tanager I posted photos of a few days ago<\/a><\/span><\/span> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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<\/em><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Have I told you that orioles have been elusive for me?<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: <\/em><\/p>\n 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<\/a><\/span><\/span> that features excellent bacon.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/bullocks-oriole-8621-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"bullocks-oriole-8621-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/female-bullocks-oriole-in-my-back-yard.jpg\" "\\"female-bullocks-oriole-in-my-back-yard\\"")
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