As soon as I sat down in my office chair, I saw them, a pair of male indigo buntings shimmering in the morning sun. I grabbed my camera but it was too late. They were about to shift from the apple tree to the safflower feeder when the orange blur came hurtling down from the cottonwood. The Baltimore oriole was letting them know the seed was off limits to the likes of them. The buntings flew away and I've not seen them since.
Feeling proud of himself, the oriole perched on top of the feeder, keeping an eye on things. When the ruby-throated hummingbird went after the grape jelly, there was the oriole, chasing him off. A tiny thing like a hummingbird, yet it did not escape his notice.
The hummingbirds will soon have their own feeder, so will stick around. If the oriole is in territorial mode, so will he. Right now he is lord of all he surveys. Best be careful, sir, there's a Cooper's hawk in the neighborhood.
Today's color pallet:
Red: the cardinal
Yellow: the gold finches
Rose: the rose-breasted grosbeak and the house finch
Orange: the Baltimore oriole
Green: the ruby throated hummingbird and his lady
Blue: the indigo bunting
Brown: the mourning dove and house sparrows
Then add in the flowers in yellow, red, blue, pink, purple, and even the green jack-in-the-pulpit. It's getting mighty colorful out there.
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