Baltimore Oriole Visit

For several days now I've heard the sweet songs of an oriole. Yesterday two of them took an interest in black oil seeds. This is the first time I've seen orioles use any of my feeders other than those for hummingbird nectar. Since the day was overcast with scattered showers, the camera did not really capture the flaming orange colour that a sunny day would reveal. Still, I imagined similar hues fluttering through a tropical canopy.

The male oriole watches his mate feeding.

He is not sure about my camera.

She seems the more confident of the two.

She was fascinated with her reflection in the window.

The offering of a sweet orange went down a treat.

After some trial and error, I solved the problem of recovering the wax from my combs of crystallized honey. (1) Crush and strain the combs over a pan covered with wire mesh to remove the honey. (2) Pour on hot water to help it soften. (3) After letting it drain overnight, scoop the stuff off the screen and into the wax melter.