Birds, Blossoms, BOBOLINKS!

Warbling Vireo, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Oh the birds do love the blossoms, though I never know whether it is the blossom itself or the insects inside that attract them. Maybe both. The sparrows tear them apart, while the orioles take a gentler, more tweezer-like approach.

Upside-down oriole, anyone?

Today's migration featured few warblers (one redstart, a yellow-rump, and the continuing waterthrush were about it) but a bajillion savannah sparrows. This seems to be a pattern around these parts.

But today's highlight: BOBOLINKS! There were four of them, all males, up in the tree-tops. And they were singing and singing. Against each other.

Indeed, today was a glorious day for song fights. Orchard orioles, Baltimore orioles (I saw four involved in one chase), bobolinks (fluttery slow motion chases), and best of all--rose-breasted grosbeaks.

I pulled some clips together in the following video. It starts with chickadee and Baltimore oriole blossom action. Then moves to the rose-breasted grosbeak. In the best scene of the day--a little grosbeak mating display action. (Check out the female on the left). Then a little savannah sparrow singing (with the resident yellow-throated vireo audible in the background). Finally, BOBOLINKS!