Baltimore Oriole

 

As always, click the photo to enlarge

A male Baltimore Oriole pauses in a copse of smooth sumac (Rhus glabra). This vibrant blackbird is one of the most colorful species in North America and looks quite tropical. And it is. Baltimore Orioles primarily winter in Central America and northern South America and spend more time down there than up here. I saw and heard many yesterday. One should never tire of the male's glorious flute-like whistling. Magee Marsh, Lucas County, Ohio, May 13, 2026.

I made an epic trip to Lake Erie yesterday, primarily visiting Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. At Sheldon along, I saw 21 warbler species and added several more at Magee. Tons of other stuff as well, and I returned from 14-hour door-to-door excursion with nearly 4,000 images. That's in large part because I was shooting my Canon R5 in electronic mode at the maximum frame rate, which yields 20 frames per second. Birds are fast, and fast burst rates are best to capture interesting postures.

I've got some really cool stuff from this trip and will share some more imagery later.