Hooded Oriole Returns!

This is a picture taken May 30th of last year.  The Hooded Oriole has to be one of the coolest looking birds I have ever seen.  Last year they had a nest nearby.  I know this because Junior followed Dad to the deck when Dad came for a sip of sugar water.

I saw my first Hooded Oriole of this Spring just a couple of days ago.  It’s not the Dad either.  I’m wondering if it’s Junior all grown up coming back to his hatch place to start his own family.  It’s funny how you can recognize individual birds over time.

The Hooded Oriole spends the Winter in Mexico and the Summer in parts of New Mexico, Arizona and up the California Coast.  They like nectar, so if you have a hummingbird feeder you may see these beautiful birds up close.  They are pretty shy though.  The pictures I have are either through the sliding glass door, or frozen video from a Flip that I leave outside recording.

I’m looking forward to seeing some fledgling Hooded Orioles later this year?  I’ll let you know.