Bullock's Oriole delights birders in southeastern Ohio

Bullock's Oriole delights birders in southeastern Ohio
Bullock's Oriole delights birders in southeastern Ohio
                        
As you may remember, there was a very windy and warm day back on April 10. A lot of amazing things happened that day, at least for those of us following rare bird reports. Not only were there record numbers of raptors moving through the state, but also lots of unusual water-birds were reported. However, the most amazing bird showed up a day later at a feeder south of Barnesville and Woodsfield in Monroe County. The folks who live there realized right away that the bird was a bright orange oriole, but it didn't look quite right for the expected Baltimore Oriole (which really shouldn't be back in Ohio so early).

Having a relative who is a birder, they took a photo of the cooperative visitor, which had taken a liking to the suet feeder in the front yard. In this day of electronic communication, it only took a minute for the photo to travel to Indianapolis, Ind., where it was quickly identified as a male Bullock's Oriole, normally at home west of a line from eastern Montana to south Texas.

Here in Ohio, there is a record of a female Bullock's Oriole that overwintered at a Columbus feeder in 1974-75 and came back the next winter (Peterjohn, Birds of Ohio). However, this time the visitor was a beautiful male which made it much easier to identify. The huge white wing patches are distinctive, as is the black throat patch.

The Indiana birder who first identified this bird posted the information on the rare bird alert for northwestern Ohio just before noon, and eventually the news was passed on to the Ohio-birds alert which most Ohio birders check regularly. I was busy that day, with no access to the Internet. Meanwhile, the word spread to at least one local birder who gave me a call. By that time it was afternoon, but the two of us set out immediately, picking up two other birders whose places of work were on the route to southeast Ohio.

We arrived about 5 p.m. and found a group of Columbus birders along with Greg Miller and Su Snyder from our area. They had just seen the oriole a few minutes earlier. Though it didn't return to the feeder over the next two hours, we did locate it high in a tree not far away. A spotting scope gave us excellent views and a few photos.

Fortunately the celebrity kept putting on a show all week. I went back with another group of birders on Saturday and had great close looks as it came to the suet feeder several times, despite the rain. By that time, more than 100 birders had signed the log. Thanks so much to Bob and Martie Heins, who opened their home to all of us, even buying cookies for the visitors.

Check the Bobolink Rare Bird Alert at 330-763-5119 for updates on the Bullock's Oriole.

Good birding!


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