Two Bird Blindness

I am a bird lover and observer. I have a multitude of feeders set up all around my house—close to my windows—so I can sit and work or cook or sip my coffee and watch these fascinating creatures.

Birds are extremely beneficial to my garden also, so I like to keep them around even if I have to bribe them with a little food.

Several years ago I saw a fabulous bird at my hummingbird feeder. It wasn’t a small bird at all, it was about the size of a starling, but the most fabulous bright yellow/orange color.

I didn’t know any bird like that existed in our area. It was so exotic looking.

I later found out it was an oriole. I also learned they feed on nectar and show up here to breed in spring and summer. How fabulous. I was so excited I purchased an oriole feeder.

After I got it home and set it up, I felt sort of silly.

It was exactly like my hummingbird feeder except it was orange and the feeding holes were a little bigger. How would this attract anything other than hummers?

But I decided to give it a shot.

Well, what do you know, another one of them fancy shmancy birds started hanging out at my feeder.

It was short-lived though, it stopped showing up at the end of May.

The next year the same thing happened–they Started to show up at the beginning of May and stopped almost June First, on the dot.

Last year, the pretty birdie stayed a little longer.

This year, I can’t get rid of the little things.

Here is living proof that even though I like to watch birds I am not the most astute birdwatcher there is.

I took pictures of the orioles for this article a couple of days in a row and when I loaded them onto my computer, I noticed something.

They were two different bird species!

Duh!

Bullock's Oriole

Hooded Oriole

Yes, I have two different kinds of orioles that frequent my feeder: a hooded Oriole and a Bullocks Oriole.

It took me three years to figure this out. Nice.

Maybe next year I'll clean my windows.

Comments

[Jacqueline]

They are SO beautiful. What wonderful photos. I have never seen either type of those little cuties over here -- just barely 1/4 mile away from you. Interesting, huh? At any rate, I don't want 'em! They're too lovely to be within range of our bad-to-the-bone kittehs...

[chigiy]

Jacqueline,
Aren't they gorgeous? When one lands on the feeder we all stop what were doing and stare at it. They take your breath away.
Can you believe it has taken me this long to figure out there are two different kinds?
Hmmmm.

[Katie]

I didn't know we had Orioles in California! Cool. Such pretty birds.

And I think the dirty windows add to the charm of the pictures.

[[email protected]]

The windows are dirty because the birds are messy eaters.

I love these photos, dear.

Lovely work.

[chigiy]

Katie,
When I first saw these birds I couldn't believe that we had something so exotic looking here. They are unbelievably beautiful in person.

Rich,
Thank you dear for blaming the bird and not your messy wife. xoxo

[Vickie]

I knew right away they were Orioles because of their color and that they were eating from the hummingbird fedder which is pretty amaizing considering I've never seen one. Oh, the power of owning a field guide for twenty-something years :)

[Candy Suter]

They are beautiful. I wish we had some colorful birds like that here. Nice pictures.

[chigiy]

Vickie,
What's weird is Orioles aren't even listed in a lot of field guides in the bay area. They are not here year round but they are here at least half the time making babies. I love them, they are amazing in person. If you have orange trees sometimes they come visit also.

Hi Candy,
I didn't know we had these birds until just a few years ago and I've lived here my whole life.