Re. birds eating petals, I have seen Northern Cardinals and House Finches do this too. Red-winged Blackbirds have been feeding in my apple tree in addition to the Baltimore Orioles. Having watched this behavior in orioles a lot, I'm convinced that the orioles are probing for insects as much as they are going for nectar. I have photos of them capturing small larvae and also using their bills in a starling-like manner (they push bill in closed, then open it, like starlings do when they probe into the grass) to reach into the blossom. I think the redwings are doing the same. About the other species? I don't know. Maybe eating the petals is merely a by product of nabbing some little insect or other?
Here are some photos from last spring of a feeding oriole, some showing the bill in action: http://www.marieread.com/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=search&type=full&search=baltimore+oriole+apple Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com http://www.agpix.com/mari ________________________________________ From: bounce-5730271-5851...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-5730271-5851...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Fast [sustf...@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 8:56 PM To: 'Barrs'; CayuGABIRDS-L@cornell.edu Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] orioles We have a pair of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and 2 TUFTED TITMICE eating our apple and wild cherry blossoms. I wonder how many other species eat these petals? S. & S. Fast Brooktondale -----Original Message----- From: bounce-5730114-9286...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-5730114-9286...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Barrs Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 7:50 PM To: CayuGABIRDS-L@cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] orioles While I was pulling garlic mustard vicinity raspberry bushes, two Baltimore orioles enjoyed the blossoms of our apple tree. Overall, a pleasant evening. Susan Barr Brooktondale -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
