Otherworldly

The bird garden looks like some sort of fairy tale land when bathed in the early morning light.

 

My orioles

Early May signals the return of one of my favorite birds, the Baltimore oriole. Their brilliant coloring and cheerful song makes them a real standout. This year they endured a grueling migration through an oil spill in the Gulf and record flooding in Tennessee. If I could understand their language, I bet they'd have some interesting tales to tell.

This is the third year that I've used special feeders to attract orioles to my backyard. The first feeder is a very small one that Jeremy and I made from scrap wood and a bit of tin. It has a small perch and an old nail that holds a chunk of fresh orange. It's tucked back in the bird garden near most of my other bird feeders.

I also bought a jelly/orange feeder from my favorite birding website. It has a small glass cup that holds the jelly and two copper spirals that you can twist pieces of orange onto. Clearly a crowd pleaser, I've often seen two orioles feeding from it at the same time.

Lastly is the new feeder that I just put out yesterday. It's made from a really cool antique strainer ladle that I found at an antique mall a couple of years ago ( for only $3.00!). I knew right away that it's bright orange color and shape would make for a fine feeder. Jeremy carefully drilled a small hole through the handle. We then hung it right near the jelly feeder on our pergola, and I filled it with orange flavored suet nuggets.

It's hard to imagine a more pleasing month than May, with the lilacs blooming and the orioles returning to nest. Springtime in the garden holds such a sense of excitement and hope for whatever lies ahead, just beyond that last frost warning.