An Unexpected Visitor

Make no mistake about it — I am a novice bird watcher.  I have only been participating in this activity for a few short months.  But, over the course of these months I have learned that one of the most gratifying aspects of bird watching is that you absolutely NEVER KNOW when a new bird, or an old friend for that matter, might choose to show up.  It has been my experience that it happens when you least expect it.  This happened to me on the afternoon of September 22, 2020, and I would like to tell you all about it!

The month of September had seen a steady decline in the number and variety of birds visiting my backyard feeder and water drip.  By September 22, 2020, I was spending less and less dedicated time birdwatching in my back yard.  Fortunately, my feeder is visible from where I am sitting as I write this blog, namely, my study.  That day, I was taking a nap, as is my usual custom these pandemic-riddled days.  I was awakened by the ringing of my cell phone a little after 2 p.m. but was unable to reach my phone, which was in my study charging, in time to catch the call from my childhood friend, Brady Miller.  As I headed back to my bedroom, I glanced at my feeder and saw an unexpected flash of color.  Picking up my binoculars (I always keep a pair handy in the study just for this purpose), I saw that I had an Oriole perched at the top of my feeder!  I quickly grabbed my camera and headed to the back door.  Based on past experience, I knew that, no matter how quietly I opened my back door, the bird might flush.  So I took a couple of pictures of the Oriole sitting at the feeder through the glass of my back door, to make sure I would have at least one picture of the bird for identification purposes.

After snapping three pictures through the glass, I slowly and carefully opened the back door, planning to take up a position closer to my feeder so I could get some better shots.  Well, the Baltimore Oriole had other ideas and flushed as soon as I opened the door.  I stayed inside, and looked the bird up in my Sibley guide to confirm it was a Baltimore Oriole.  I also pulled the bird up on eBird (the Cornell University site) and saw from the migration map that my location was definitely in the migratory path of the Baltimore Oriole.  

By this time, about ten minutes had passed, and I returned to the back door (where my feeder and water drip are both visible) and saw that the Baltimore Oriole had returned and was perched near my drip and bird bath.  Once again, I took several photos through the glass of the back door.  

After taking several photos of the Oriole at the water drip through the glass of the back door, I once again slowly opened the door with plans to slowly mover closer for a better shot.  The bird flew immediately.  So, having read that Orioles love oranges and grape jelly, I set out half an orange with grape jelly on top at the feeder, in a position where I could get a good shot of the Oriole if he was attracted by the fruit and jelly.  I then set up on my back deck, waiting and watching patiently.  In less than 30 minutes, I spotted the Oriole perched high in my Pecan tree.  He stayed there for 13 minutes, never moving from his perch.    

Suddenly, after being perched for such a long time, he flew down to the feeder and ate some jelly.  Although he was at the feeder for less than a minute this time, I was able to get some pretty good photos, and was quite pleased with myself.

After the Oriole’s brief appearance to sample the jelly, he flew off and was gone for almost two and a half hours.  Shortly after 6:00 p.m., I spotted him again in the trees.  Oddly enough, he stayed perched up in the tree for exactly 13 minutes (6:10 p.m. to 6:23 p.m.).  This time around, he was not as out in the open as his earlier appearance but I was still able to get a few more shots of this beautiful bird. 

Just as he had done earlier in the afternoon, the Baltimore Oriole, after perching in the tree for thirteen minutes, headed to the feeder for grape jelly.  This time he stayed twice as long (two minutes instead of one!) and I was able to get more good pictures of him.

I will never forget this day and my visit from a Baltimore Oriole.  As I write this post, it has been just over three weeks since his visit, and, though I have looked diligently and expectedly, to my knowledge, he  has not appeared again.  So I guess his visit was indeed just a brief stop, perhaps before a long migratory flight that night.  I am so grateful for God’s beauty and Grace! And I look forward to next year, hoping to see this beautiful bird, or one of his friends, again.