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Here and There…Now and Then |
Baltimore Oriole
As an illustrative photo this isn’t much but seeing an oriole (Icterus galbula) is rare enough that any photo that catches the color is pretty cool, in my book. I got two others of it on a branch but it’s mostly hidden by the branch. I could hear it singing after it flew to a different tree so I have hopes of seeing it again.
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
After the last two weeks, Cathy and I really needed a break. The trip to the National Arboretum was wonderful but even that was a place with lots of people. Today we went to McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, out River Road.
We didn’t really know what to expect but it turned out to be one of our most fruitful bird outings ever, with thses nine birds photographed and a half dozen more seen and heard. We are big fans of the Merlin app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Having that listen for and identify birds by their song helped us find birds we might not have otherwise seen. I recognized the oreole songs and of course the red-winged blackbird, but I never would have found the red-headed woodpecker or the prothonotary warbler. The night heron was actually at the C&O Canal near Riley’s Lock.