During migration season I continually change my mind about what bird is my favorite—the Scarlet Tanager! No, it’s the Indigo Bunting! Oh it’s easily a Magnolia Warbler!
One bird that’s not as flashy as some of the aforementioned species, but that always gives me a thrill is the Orchard Oriole. Here’s how the All About Birds website describes this migrating visitor to my backyard:
“The Orchard Oriole swaps the typical flame-orange of other orioles for a deep, burnished russet. Hopping among riverine shrubs or scattered trees, male Orchard Orioles sing a whistled, chattering song to attract yellow-green females. The smallest of North America’s orioles, it gleans insects from foliage and builds hanging, pouchlike nests during its brief breeding season, and then heads back to Central America for the rest of the year. Orchard Orioles also feed on fruit and nectar in orchards, gardens, and elsewhere.”
Some years an Orchard Oriole will show up first and then I know it’s time to put the oranges and grape jelly out because the Baltimore Orioles won’t be far behind! This year the Baltimore Orioles arrived first and were here for about 3 days before I spotted an Orchard Oriole. I’ve now had at least one of these birds visit my backyard every year since 2015.
Like Indigo Buntings they are more skittish than some of the other birds, so it’s hard to sneak a photo without scaring them away from the feeders. But this year’s bird didn’t seem to mind me gawking at it from the window.
