Date: 4/16/24 9:38 pm From: Daniel Scali via groups.io <daniel.s.scali...> Subject: [SFBirds] Adult male Baltimore Oriole (?) at McLaren Park
Hi all,
This evening during the golden hour I was picking through the wind slimmed
bird offerings around the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. Robins were singing
away, some from the tree tops, and occasionally the notes seemed to come
slightly faster and slightly squeakier. That cadence, etc., could
definitely have been Grosbeak but none of the phrases came punctuated with
their emphatic squeak calls. I eventually located the Robin who was playing
mind games.
Before that, I noticed another treetop bird, and got it in view. It had
Robin colors but amplified by 10 or maybe 100 in that golden light. Looking
head on, the orange below glowed like tangerine-colored fire, and the
facial features disappeared into deep black that covered the whole head.
There were no white eye rings, no white chin, and the bill, which I must
have seen from a head turn, was pointy, not “grosse.”
The bird launched off and flew right towards me, seeming to land in the
live oak I was underneath. Did I see any more field marks? Not consciously.
I didn’t know whether to lift my binoculars or my camera as I tried to
locate what I imagined could be a Baltimore Oriole. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen one in the field, but looking through pics on my phone confirmed
there’s really nothing else it could be (although apparently there’s an
Orchard Oriole subspecies that is much brighter orange than typical and
also looks like my bird). The tree was full of new growth and I never saw
even a silhouette. I searched all around with no luck. The oriole seemed to
have snuck away.
What birds are we missing at this giant park during peak migration? I hope
more of y’all will come southeast, and help the few of us uncover some
goodies.
Good spring migration birding,
Dan Scali
PS. It was pure coincidence I ended up picking up some Cherry Garcia for my
“mother-in-law” afterwards
