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Borrego Springs, CA

Monday, March 2, 2015

Two new birds in two days

There are a lot of birders out there in the universe that maintain a life list and zip from place to place to get a glimpse of a bird they’ve never seen before to add to their list.  I’m not one of those kinds of birders.  I simply enjoy watching birds and learning about them, and would not drive miles and miles to possibly get a quick look at a bird that was new to me.  That being said, I absolutely enjoy seeing new birds that happen my way.

cinnamon tealWhen I first came to Imperial NWR, I learned that cinnamon teal are common and breed here.  That was exciting since I’d never seen one before.  I thought that meant that I’d be seeing a lot of them.  Silly me.  Finally yesterday as I was leading the bird tour, I found six of these teal on one of the management ponds.  I let out a whoop as I spotted them.  There was no chance for a photo of them as I helped the folks on the tour get their binoculars on them.  I grabbed this pic from the web.  I’m hoping I’ll see more of them in the four weeks I have left.

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A storm front moved through yesterday afternoon resulting in light rain most of the night and throughout the day today.  When it finally moved off north, Emma and I sat outside for a while just before sunset.  What a surprise to see a hooded oriole hop onto the hummer feeder.  (note the drop of hummer sauce clinging to the bottom of the feeder on the lower right)

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This oriole is uncommon on the refuge, and is another new bird for me.  He hung around long enough for me to truly get a feeling for this bird.  The resident male Anna’s hummingbird that guards the feeders tried to get him to leave, but this oriole just screeched at him and chased him off.  Made me chuckle. 

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This guy was pretty ingenious.  Not sure if he couldn’t get any nectar out of the hummer holes in the top, but his weight made some of it spill over and cling to the bottom of the feeder.  He then went upside down to soak up those drops.  This is the way I like to watch birds… learning something about them rather than just ticking them off on a list.

I’m thinking maybe I’d better put out my oriole feeder with larger ports tomorrow.  In Minnesota, I also put out grape jelly for the orioles.  Don’t have any right now, but I wonder if he’d go for some strawberry jam?

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                                                                                THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

24 comments:

  1. That's one smart & colorful little hooded Oriole alright. Wished we could get a wider variety of birds at our feeder. I always find it exciting to spot a new bird as well. I may not know what they are but it is sure good seeing them. Won't be long & we will be welcoming the Spring songbirds back to our Ontario feeders. I like the name 'Cinnamon Teal'. Has a nice ring to it...............

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  2. Both those birds are beautiful. All I saw today were sea gulls. I am near the Salton Sea at Slab City and they are everywhere. Your photo of the hooded oriole is just beautiful. Smart little guy and courageous fighting off a humming bird too.

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  3. Cool beans, Judy. Right up your alley (mine, too, but I've not seen either one of these guys).

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  4. Good things come to those who wait! :c)

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  5. I agree with you, it is better to just see them as they come rather than chase them all over the globe. I am glad you got to spend time with the hooded oriole and I hope you get a chance to see the cinnamon teal again.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  6. I remember when I got a photo of my first (and only) cinnamon teal you commented how lucky I was, that you had not seen one yet. And here you are. Now... I haven't seen a hooded oriole yet. But I have had other orioles do what that one did, they seem to love trying to figure out how to get the nectar from those hummer feeders. They are fun to watch! I'm happy for you - two new birds for YOU, with all the birding you've done, is really something. Congrats!

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  7. That is a beautiful Oriole! I bought some Grape jelly the other day..silly me I am thinking spring:)

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  8. Not surprising that I have never seen either if these. Very happy for you and hope you get to see more if them both. Is word getting out about your soon to be no more birding tours? Wish I could take one everywhere you are.

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  9. If you have some oranges, cut one in half and impale it on a branch... he'll love it. Glad you're getting some color.... I feel like I'm living in a sepia world right now.

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  10. Colorful new birds all around! Congratulations!

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  11. Lovely photos. I don't think many of us think of birds as being smart, but this oriole sure proved us wrong.

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  12. I put my hummingbird feeder out last week but thinking it's too early or cold. I'll be patient. Wondering what is the best bird book to have - you would know.

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  13. So glad that we got to share this with you! Watching them do their thing is so inspiring!

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  14. Have you been thinking about what "THE END" photo you will use for your final post from Imperial NWR ? Maybe the one taken by Phoebe and used on your Feb 26 post deserves to be recycled ? Or maybe after you get all hooked up and ready to leave - take a photo of the rear end of your RV and toad ? These last 4 weeks will pass quickly and I admire your strong character and enjoy the glimpse into your life - but that final photo will sure have a lot of extra meaning - Ha! Stay strong and be happy !

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  15. We get lots of Hummers in Illinois, but I never seem to get the Orioles for long..They are moving on and only there a day or two...Must be something I said....or wore??

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  16. The Hooded Oriole will definitely come to hummingbird feeders...I have a life list and enjoy getting new birds to add, but I don't run from place to place just to tick them off. I have seen those that do this however.

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  17. Yeah, you saw the 'cinnamon'! Two days ago I saw my first green-winged teals, not as special but hey, a first is a first!

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  18. Great bird days! Seems as though there has been an awful lot of moisture in your part of the southwest this winter. Tucson friends say most of the rains usually come during monsoon season, and rarely is there anything around in winter. When we visited, it was always brown and dry and they would always tell us how gorgeous and green the desert was during the soons. I have seen an awful lot of photos from bloggers this winter of a green desert! Probably a good thing for you and the birds at your refuge. Take care, Judy.

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  19. What a treat to see two new to you birds.

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  20. Beautiful Oriole and what fun to watch, as usual some great photos.

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  21. agree with you. . .much more fun to see the ones that come by for a visit than to go off tracking them down.

    Sure loving my Oriole Feeder I was inspired to order after seeing yours. . .I'm sure your Oriole might enjoy strawberry jam. . .yum!

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  22. Great photos, always exciting to add a bird to the list.

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