Seeing New Birds

I don't count how many different birds I see even still I always get a thrill when I see a bird I have never seen before. Yesterday I got that thrill twice. On a trip to Valley Forge PA I saw my first ever Oriole. Such an eye catching Beautiful Bird. No photos I was to busy admiring to grab my camera. The other bird I got a few photos but they are blurry even with the bird just sitting perfectly still on the fence just posing. I looked it up when I got home a "Brown Headed Cow Bird. The chocolate brown head looked so velvety soft.

I don't care for cow birds as they lay their eggs in other birds' nests. We seem to have a pair around here this yr.

Looked out the window at our tulip tree & an oriole was working over a low branch. they seem to like tulip poplars, but I had not seen one this year. I hope that he returns.

I had never seen either bird before. There were a lot of Tulip trees in the park . The Oriole was so pretty.

I don't know the fascination for tulip trees. We had several when we lived in CT 40 years ago & had the orioles every summer. We planted on here & the orioles come. Special tasting bugs? I don't know. I am glad that the one I saw was the male so an easy ID. & perhaps he will return.

More excitement: yesterday a small black & white bird was trying to keep its balance on the tube feeder. It would have done better, one hole down. Turned out that it was a rose breasted grosbeak. I had never seen one before. DH looked at the photo of the female & realized that he saw one. (looks like a big sparrow with brown & white stripes on the head). So we have an active pair. they were back today, so must be nesting closeby.

very cool. I had to go look the bird up but still cool.

We have the R.T. Peterson bird guides, but I used a 'Birds of Massachusets' book which ID by color & is quicker to use.

I have R T Peterson,and Reader's Digest Book of North American Birds.I like them both for different reasons. I like the photos for identification better in R T and the wealth of information in the Reader's Digest is great.