Sunday, June 20, 2010

Bullock's Oriole - Female

When I arrived at TRNWR yesterday afternoon, I started my walk as I usually do along the trail leading to the south side of the visitor center. There is a small grove of trees including some large Oaks and the large Firs that serve as a lookout perch for the Bald Eagles. There is a bench along this trail that looks out over the refuge. While standing near this bench, I noticed something fly in from one of the pines to the roof of the back of the visitor's center.
It turned out to be a female Bullock's Oriole and it appeared that it was harvesting spider nests under the beams that make up the edges of the roof. It would spend some time poking at these nests and then fly back to a branch about half way up in one of the Firs. Each time it flew back to the pine I moved in a little closer.
Eventually it moved down further along the back side by the overlook and finally off to some distant woods. I'm not sure if it is nesting at the refuge, but if it is, I hope to see the male at some point.

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