Friday, March 8, 2024

Oriole standoff

A female pileated woodpecker worked on what was left of the suet. Then she hunted for what she'd dropped.  And she found it!  The female red bellied woodpecker was only interested in seeds.  Warblers and white throated sparrows foraged.  The tide rain high and rough. 

A female oriole had jelly for breakfast.  I put out mealworms and a male oriole showed up.  The female oriole kept an eye on him from her perch on the jelly dish.  Soon he barged in and took over the jelly.  She sulked in the camellia. 

Meanwhile, a brown headed nuthatch was frustrated by finches hogging the seeds but eventually got a turn.   A female bluebird had some mealworms.  A blue jay watched from the oak.  The female oriole returned to the jelly. 

This time, when the male oriole tried to take over the feeder dish she was not intimidated and kept her beak between him and the jelly.  Eventually he gave up and waited till she was finished.  I took lots of pictures but I wish I'd thought to make a movie.  

A song sparrow hopped down the steps to look for suet crumbs.  Later it looked in the birdbath for seeds.  Bufflehead drakes paddled downstream.  Then female buffleheads headed upstream.  A white breasted nuthatch got seeds. 

There were buds ready to open on the azalea.  Turtles basked on every available surface.  Occasionally pelicans flew past.  


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