Re: [SBB] Baltimore Oriole?

[Patty Ciesla <[[email protected]]>]

Sounds like a Black-headed Grosbeak to me. Lovely loud house finch-like or 
robin-like song. These birds make me stop whatever I'm doing in the yard 
when they sing. We have two pairs coming to our millet feeder. The bill is 
short and dark and sort of disappears into the black face, making it look 
smaller than it is.

The woodpeckers could be acorn woodpeckers, or something else. As for the 
little brown bird, 'round these parts I believe they are called LBBs. At 
least, that's what I call them.

Patty (useless, but happy, "birder" that I am)

At 08:07 AM 5/8/2005, Barbara Kossy wrote:
> I was paddling my kayak in the Lexington Reservoir yesterday. Around 1 or 
> 1:30 we paddled into the flooded Los Gatos Creek at the end of the 
> reservoir farthest from the dam.
> I heard a very lovely and robust birdsong to my left.
> But no bird was in sight. We paddled farther and enjoyed paddling throught 
> the willows and listening to and watching the red-winged blackbirds.
> Heading back into the main reservoir I again heard the robust bird song 
> and couldn't place it.
> Sort of like a robin, but not, sort of like a Northern Cardinal, but not. 
> So I decided to wait and see if the bird showed himself. After a few 
> minutes he hopped to a branch with great light and visibility. Oriole, I 
> thought, but, gee, it has a black head like a Baltimore Oriole, but that 
> can't be, that's an Eastern bird. He was smaller than a robin, all black 
> head, eyes and small straight bill, and a rusty red-orange chest fully lit 
> by the filtered afternoon sun. He turned and flew into the woods. Black 
> wings and back, I think, with white on the wings near the body, or on the 
> back, I'm not certain of the location of the white patches, since I didn't 
> have binoculars with me.
> Going home to look up the bird, it seems it really was a Baltimore Oriole.
> I'd put its location as between Aldercroft Heights Road and Los Gatos 
> Creek, just to the reservoir side of the the flooded willow patch that's 
> full of black birds.
>
> I'm new to this list have have never before visited the Lexington 
> Reservoir. I really enjoyed the birds there, and packing for kayaking 
> forgot to take the binoculars.
> So, I have a couple of questions for those of you familiar with the 
> spot.  There are some old limbless pines standing in the water near the 
> highway 17 shore.
> I saw quite a few woodpeckers nesting the in the holes in the pines. What 
> woodpecker would that be?
> And I saw a very small gray brown bird foraging along the waters edge, and 
> on the floating pipeline in the water. What bird would that be?
> Thanks.
> Feel free to call me if you want more details about the Baltimore Oriole.
> Barbara
>
>
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