A bright spot high in a tree

The Baltimore oriole is a robin-sized songbird native to North America. It is widely distributed throughout the eastern half of the United States. Mated pairs are usually solitary during the summer breeding season, not found in small flocks like some other birds such as finches or sparrows. During our winter, Baltimore orioles can be found in Central America.

Baltimore orioles can be hard to locate and photograph in the wild. It is easier to put out a feeder with orange slices, red cherries or ripe grapes, which may attract a pair of Baltimore orioles to your yard.

I found this one and its mate singing and flitting about high in the limbs of a tall red oak tree near a lake. Shown here is the male, who seems to have an insect in his beak. I did not see a fledgeling but suspect the parents may have been feeding their offspring that had just left their nest.

Baltimore orioles prefer to spend time high in trees seeking out insects. They sometimes will feed at hummingbird feeders.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more of Horrell's work at the Painted Wren Gallery in downtown Cape Girardeau.