First, a quick pass through Allen Brothers Marsh yielded a calling 
sora, but no visuals on it.

When I got home this evening, the feeders were a bit busy.

After yesterday's Eastern Towhee, the surprises continued.  Under the 
feeders this morning was a Brown Thrasher.  It showed up again when I 
got home and I was able to get a photo of it.

There was also a FOY ruby-throated hummingbird at our feeders today. 
Got photos of that as well.  Also included were gorgeous looks at a 
rose-breasted grosbeak and a tufted titmouse.

A real treat for me this afternoon was an American Redstart which 
just showed up and started bobbing about in the brush near the 
feeders while I was waiting for hummingbirds.  I can not tell you how 
much work I've put into getting not very good photos of redstarts, so 
to be presented with such a solid look at one was a real treat.

Finally, the orioles have been coming in a bit over the last few 
days, but never while I've been in a position to take photos.  So I 
tried something that a friend of mine said has worked for her.  I 
tried calling one in by whistling out my own mimicry of its call.  I 
didn't think it was working but about 90 seconds after I'd stopped, 
one showed up and presented itself in the tree.  Then it landed on 
the feeder pole.  I expected it to go for the suet, which is what 
they ate a lot of last year.

That's not where it was headed.

Several years ago, we had an oriole feeder that the orioles never 
touched.  Hummingbirds were at it a lot, but never an oriole.  We 
eventually replaced it with a hummingbird feeder that worked 
perfectly well.

Today, the oriole landed on the hummingbird feeder.

These birds just don't know how they're supposed to behave.

Photos at http://juliesmagiclightshow.com/_2008-05-08.php

--julie
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