I need to post these pictures before I load the new batch on to Photobucket or I'll go batty! This little guy was stuck to the zoo hospital one early morning. He was gone later when I remembered he was there.

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After getting to work at 6 this morning, I was rewarded with my first Baltimore oriole sighting this morning (having heard them the past two evenings). Then, about an hour later, over the heads of a crowd of disinterested parties, my first catbird of the year! Alexis rejoices for catbirds with the same passion that she reviles juncos. And then, just a few minutes ago as I sat on the warm grass in the park with Jim and Charlie, we were buzzed by the swallows that live in the nearby stone bridges. Three firsts of the year in two days! Not bad at all.

I forgot to post this last night. We heard our first oriole of the year! We couldn't see it, but the song was unmistakable. I think the same individuals claim the same territories around us. Orioles seem to each have different songs, and I'm pretty sure I recognized the melody of the one we heard last night. It's a nice feeling, like seeing a friend you haven't seen in months.

Photo by cottonmanifesto. Location: Olmsted Park, Boston

Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula

The Baltimore orioles return to Boston in April, when cherry and apple trees are in flower, and the caterpillars that feed on them begin to become abundant. Orioles feed mainly on insects, but are well-known for taking nectar and fruit from trees and specially-designed bird feeders as well. They prefer to stay high in treetops in partially-forested open areas, particularly along rivers or streets. There may be more orioles today than ever, due to the increase in habitat caused by suburban development of forested areas. The Audubon Society, studying oriole population trends with data collected from the public; habitat loss in their wintering grounds in Central and South America may threaten the future numbers of orioles.

Though it is tempting to note that this bird shares a name with an American city, both the city and the bird are actually named for the British lordship that governed colonial Maryland, and happened to have orange and black for emblematic colors. Though the oriole is Maryland's state bird, it is probably more common in New England.


Photo by urbpan. Location: Riverway, between Brookline and Boston (The Muddy River, over which the oriole dangles, is the border).