Mockingbird vs. oriole

I hung my oriole feeder and waited for the orioles to show up.

And very soon a bird did show up. Wow, that is one funny looking oriole!

Wait, that isn't an oriole! No, it is the boss of the backyard, the Northern Mockingbird.

After a while, an Baltimore Oriole did actually come to investigate. This is a first year male who hasn't yet morphed into the gaudy orange and black feathers of the adult males. 

It didn't take him long to get around to checking out the feeder.

This is a second sub-adult male enjoying one of the orange halves. So far, I've seen four or five orioles around the feeders and they have all been sub-adult males. I've concluded that most likely the mature adults have already passed through, maybe even before I got my feeder hung. Perhaps they were early this year, like everything else. 

The orioles are no match for this bossy mockingbird who has chased at least a couple of birds away from the feeder. He doesn't seem too interested in the orange halves but he does love that grape jelly!


And who knew that mockingbirds liked jelly?

Comments

  1. CarmenMay 13, 2016 at 1:09 PM

    Now you know that mockingbirds like jelly. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 13, 2016 at 1:21 PM

      I was quite surprised, although I don't know why. Mockingbirds certainly love the things that jelly is made of like berries and grapes.

      Delete
  2. JayneMay 13, 2016 at 2:29 PM

    I would never have thought that mockingbirds liked jelly. I saw an oriole in my yard last week and managed to get a blurry photo of it. Not sure if it was male/female/adult/immature though. I don't know much about them.

    Love your feeder - wondering if I should get one too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 13, 2016 at 2:51 PM

      I got my feeder from Duncraft and it does work well for the two foods that seem to attract the orioles - the grape jelly and orange halves. It's probably too late to put up a feeder to attract them now. They've pretty much all passed through. They are normally here in early May, but I think they arrived a little earlier this year. I actually got my feeder up a bit late. They'll be back through in the fall, of course, but I almost never see one in my yard then.

      Delete
  3. Judy KruegerMay 14, 2016 at 12:23 AM

    A great bird story. I was riveted. Still haven't seen any orioles here but we did talk about yours at one of my reading groups this week because another member grew up in NJ, as I did, and has fond memories of the birds and their amazing nests. Wonderful photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersMay 14, 2016 at 10:17 AM

      I always look forward to their passage each spring. I don't always get them in my yard and there were only a few this year, but they are always such a treat to have around.

      Delete

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