Thursday, May 12, 2016

First orioles arrived on May 9

 Photos by Barry Wallace
 BALTIMORE ORIOLE
(Icterus galbula)
On Friday it was the first hummingbird in the backyard.   Monday morning it was a pair of male Baltimore Orioles (see photos here) trying out the hummingbird feeders. Then at supper time it was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Phucticus ludovicianus) helping itself to seeds at the mixed birdseed feeder.   All these brave migrants are moving north during the sunny days but have to cope the best they can with very chilly nights.   Keep the feeders full folks.



TO AN ORIOLE
by Edgar fawcett
1847 ~ 1904 /USA

How falls it oriole, thou hast come to fly
In tropic splendor through our northern sky?

At some glad moment was it nature's choice

To dower a scrap of sunset with a voice?

Or did some orange tulip, flaked with black,

in some forgotten garden, ages back,

Yearning toward Heaven until its wish was heard,

Desire unspeakably to be a bird?

Please comment if you wish.
Barry Wallace

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