Winter Birding Highlighted by Oriole Visits

He’s a long way from Maryland! But truth be told, Baltimore Orioles have become common sights in the Southeast. 

A neighbor who lives only several hundred yards from me (as the Crow flies) has been attracting them to his backyard feeders for years. 

The key I learned from him is grape jelly. Orioles have a sweet tooth for jam. So I recently put out some jelly and sure enough the last several days one has come to my backyard. 

The Orioles also seem to like the seed food seen in this photo (taken through my kitchen window) but this one may have been trying to stay out the rain too.

Bevy of Backyard Birds and Other Recent Captures

Now that winter has passed, I'm starting to see more bird activity in my backyard and pond. Plus, a recent weekend in Hilton Head produced a nice bird photography opportunity. And I have a few photos to share from Magnolia Cemetery, which include an Anhinga with a fresh fish catch.

So this post is kind of a nest for my recent birding activities.

The American Goldfinches have been coming around recently. They are still in the molting stage, well on their way to the beautiful solid yellow sheen for which this striking bird is known.

Northwestern University Birds

During a very pleasant walk around my grad schoool alma mater Northwestern University I encountered a delightful variety of birds.  The flashy yellow one caught my eye and I did my best to capture its image from a pretty good distance.  Peterson Field Guide and Google images helped me identify this beauty as an American Goldfinch. 

It was a nice surprise to see several Red-Winged Blackbirds in a couple places around campus.  Used to see these all the time at the old Kings Grant golf course here in Summerville, S.C.  The males are distinctive by their red and yellow epaulets.  The other bird pictured on the fence I believe to be a female Red-Winged Blackbird.  The females don't have the flashy markings of the male. 

I also enjoyed seeing a number of American Robins.  They are quite busy birds and are approachable, allowing me to get fairly close for my photos.