I grew up with the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore orioles in our back yard, hearing the crack of the bat and a sweet birdsong, looking for Cracker Jack and hanging pouchlike nests.
So it was a treat to spot a large nest of the Bullock’s oriole, a similar-looking, medium-sized songbird, at McNary National Wildlife Refuge, 30 miles west of Walla Walla.
Mom was hard at work, darting in and out of the top of her nest in a small grove of deciduous trees near a river, bringing home the insects to her insatiable chattering chicks and dashing away for more.
It probably took the female two weeks to build her complex grayish-looking nest, woven from long strands of grass, hairs, twine, feathers, willow cotton and other material, and suspended from its upper rim.
Most references say the typical nest tops out at 6 -to 8-inches deep, but this nest was longer, a grand slam in the nest-building category. That may be why it appeared to be connected at the side to the tree as well.
These orioles can be seen from early May to early August east of the Cascades before they migrate to the Sinaloa area of Mexico.
Bullock’s orioles’ diet is heavy on insects and spiders with side dishes of ripe fruits and nectar. Their songs are full of whistles and rattles, and both sexes sing.
To my ear, the Baltimore oriole has a sweeter voice.
Orioles belong to the family Icteridae, which includes blackbirds, meadowlarks and cowbirds. The species, as is often the case, was named in honor of an amateur naturalist, William Bullock, by Will-iam Swainson. Bullock supported Swainson’s birding expeditions.
Ornithologists are known to change their minds when it comes to identifying a bird’s species. At one point, ornithologists concluded that the Baltimore and Bullock’s orioles were the same species and lumped them into the Northern oriole category.
But with the help of mitochondrial DNA, studies showed that the two species are not even closely related, so the Northern oriole tag was discarded (at least by the ornithologists, and Bullock’s and Baltimore orioles returned to two species.
Change of pace: Slow down a bit and enjoy the less strenuous side of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. A series of summer programs are led by guest speakers and interpretive rangers.
At the Big Four Picnic Area, ranger-led activities happen Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 1. Learn about gold panning (July 13), stargazing (evening of July 13), birds of prey (July 20), hiking opportunities along the Mountain Loop Highway (Aug. 8), and listen to campfire stories (Aug. 3),
There are also presentations on cougars, tales of trails, weed invasion, and a Big Four history tour at 10 a.m. Aug. 31.
For the whole list, go to www.fs.usda.gov/mbs and click on News and Events, then on Summer Speakers.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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