Baltimore Oriole Feeding

It's been a slow spring.  By my records, wildflower blooms and migrating birds are at least three weeks late arriving.   So, I have been busy with a massive revision to my photo file, but it was not my first choice.  Yesterday I saw a good clear and calm morning that was perfect.  And, nearby apple trees were finally coming into bloom. I've always seen good numbers of birds in the flowering trees, but I have never been able to determine what they were feeding on.  Were the Baltimore Orioles somehow getting nutrition from the flowers themselves?  After all, it is common for people to put out orange halves and dishes of grape jelly for orioles.  Is there also nectar in the apple blossoms for them?  Well, I came home with a series of four colorful images that answered my question.

This colorful male came into my view at the top of a large apple tree that had just come into bloom.

 He began probing in the open blossoms.

 Soon his beak emerged with a caterpillar.

He shook it a bit and then it was up and in with a little flip of his head.  Down it went.

So, the answer is that the Baltimore Oriole was there for the high protein caterpillar.

The tree was alive with other birds including Redwing Blackbirds, Gold Finches and warblers.   The larger birds tended to be in the outer parts of the tree and also towards the top. The smaller birds were mostly in the denser parts.   They were more difficult to track.  There was one Tennessee Warbler that sometimes ventured to the edges.  Take a look at him.

There is a small caterpillar in the the tip of his beak.  He was there for the same thing.

Now, it is dark and misting.  Back to the computer.

Best,

Paul Schmitt

Whale, Whale, Whale....wasn't this a find morning!

Day three on the Westward began quietly in a calm anchorage.  Lifting anchor, our boat continued east on Peril Strait.  The boat then turned north on Chatham Strait with the intention of finding Brown Bears during low tide at Pavlov Bay. There was, however, a diversion when Captain Bill announced whales spouting on the west shore, maybe a mile ahead. Once closer, we had our first good view.

What followed was two and a half hours of tracking a group of eleven Humpback Whales.  They repeatedly dove, located feed fish, encircled them in a bubble net, tightened the net and then swept upward with mouths widely open, erupting on the surface.

The gulls seemed to have knowledge of where the whales would appear and converged in the general area beforehand.  Quickly, the whales would settle down, often with pectoral fins protruding from the sea.  One imagines that they are laying out to filter water through their baleen and swallow the small fish.   The gulls swarmed about looking for stunned fish on the surface.

The whales regrouped and likely recharged their air supply.

The cycle continues as the whales begin to dive again.  It seems a deep dive is marked by the tail lifting high as the whales descend for another hunt.

On deck, passengers wait and watch the gulls to provide a clue. We got better at recognizing this, and often found ourselves watching in the right spot.  (Of course, Captain Bill likely was more on top of this than we were.)  It was spectacular.

It is tempting to believe that local residents become less excited about the sight of Humpbacks sweeping up from the depths.  This fishing boat dispels that idea.

The fisherman immediately turned his boat, stopped and appeared with a camera.  He did not chase the pod for hours like we did, but it surely excited him.

But, after countless repeats and considering our intent to get to Pavlov Bay at low tide, even the most enthusiastic photographer admitted it was time to move on.  So we said farewell to a final diving whale.

Captain Bill said we had seen more bubble-feeding events than they usually find in an entire season.  Once again, it seems we have good fortune on our travels.  Anyway, bears are next.

Paul

Blue-headed Vireo

A young friend relayed to me the location of a nest of Blue-headed Vireos a few weeks ago.  I waited until I expected there to be good sized chicks.  The nest is ideally located above a hiking trail and only maybe ten feet high.  (Thanks, Alex!)

Made the three-quarter mile hike into the nest on this humid morning. It was worth the effort down the hill, and I guess the uphill was tolerable.  The pair were pretty actively feeding their two young nestlings.

Did I say two?  Sure did.  Don't recall which swallowed that large grub.

Sometimes, an adult would sing from a nearby tree before flying in. That excited the chicks greatly.  What a big mouth for so small a chick.

I was there for about two hours but the time passed quickly. I saw action that I wish I could have captured.  A Pileated Woodpecker foraged on a downed tree and a Brown Creeper busied itself on another tree.  Perhaps the best was when a young robin ventured too close to the nest. The little vireo attacked with amazing furor and the robin fled with cries of terror.  All were out of reach of my camera or happening while I was shooting video. It is amazing how much you see if you stop moving and just sit in one place.  It seems that the less I move, the more I see.

Paul Schmitt