• Saturday-What'sUP May 30 - 11:20 am

Baltimore Orioles are not as common in your backyard as the other songbirds you usually see and it makes quite a bold statement when it does appear. Tanya Voldarski is one of the lucky ones that not only spotted one, but had her camera at the ready to snap up a photo of it. These birds can range in color from bright orange, like this guy here, to those who only sport small patches of orange. While out enjoying the warmer weather, I heard this bird singing its song and was instantly reminded to hang out my own feeder. Either that or slice an orange and some red grapes and set them out on the back deck to attract my own colorful visitors. I have a neighbor who swears she attracts Baltimore Orioles with grape jelly. I might have to fix a couple sandwiches and invite one over for a Memorial Day picnic!

Congratulations to all the graduating seniors. Yesterday saw a number of commencement ceremonies at high schools around the Peninsula. Time for many of these young people to leave the nest - - hope we can keep some of them here in the U.P.

Buckle UP and bring 'em back alive.

What a beautiful picture. I wish we had more in the SE lower Michigan, although we've had them a few times.

They pass thru here on their way north, and it's always such a treat to spot one!

Cool; we're stuck with Grackles (stupid black bird) and a lot of Mockingbirds. We've been lucky to have a Blue Jay and sometimes someone will see a Hummingbird.

Margaret,I have always liked Grackles and Blackbirds. They are so sassy and full of life!They seem to know how to survive,even thrive,under less than ideal circumstances.Well,to be honest I like all birds....Ospreys,Flamingoes.Mockingbirds...even Gulls. But I can see your point,it would be nice to see a variety instead of the same old,same old.

What a great picture. We seldom see orioles here in WI--occasionally when they are passing through.

I saw an eagle hunched up in a low tree so that it looked liked something was wrong. I convinced my wife to turn around to check it out and when we got to the area it had been in it was gone but there in the ditch was a doe and a very wobbly fawn. I'm sure that eagle was eying dinner and seeing us turn and come back caused it to fly off. This was just south of Chassell on the slough area and the fawn and momma crossed some shallow water and went on. I fumblefingered the camera and didn't get a shot of course. What a welcome to the CC!

Great photo! nice feeder setup on that porch!
Baltimore Orioles have been summer residents/breeders for generations from Louisiana to Maine, up thru all of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and points north up into Canada. They winter in the tropics and along the SE US coast.
Besides the orange slices, they do like grape jelly real well! Also orange marmalade and other jams! Some bird/wildlife biologists believe tho that too much of the jelly isn't the best for them. Not nutritious enough. I don't worry about it tho as Orioles usually stop coming for the oranges and Jelly by the end of May, early June anyhow once they are busy building their nest and there is plenty of natural insects and their usual fare.
Speaking of nests--- take old string, yarn, plastic strips and the like, stuff it into a suet cake holder, drape it in shrubs, clotheslines etc. in view and watch the Orioles eagerly pull some away and watch which direction they go and you may find where they build their nest! Nests are usually quite high up in a Poplar, Elm, or Maple. It will be a neat compact hanging pouch!

Great pictures!

What a day for all things avian; waxwings, humingbirds, sandhill cranes, robins, jays, mallards, and yellow and purple finches!