Nesting Chores and Wars, Part 2 - The Baltimore Oriole and Associates

A flash of brilliant orange high in a tree at Halibut Point alerted me to pair of Baltimore Orioles at work in the construction of their nest. Even at a distance the suspended pouch of woven fibers seemed like an improbable accomplishment for a creature without hands.

Baltimore Oriole male

The sparsely foliated tree, added to the birds' own colorful plumage, did seem an imprudent homesteading plan in full view of potential predators.

Baltimore Oriole female

Meanwhile, the female oriole stitched meticulous touches with her beak.

A couple of days later I was surprised to see an Eastern Wood-Peewee fluttering close to the Oriole nest.

Eastern Wood-Peewee

De-construction activity was under way at the undefended Oriole nest.

Peewee plucking

The Peewee was helping itself to strands evidently for its own building operation.

American Goldfinch

Shortly thereafter a Goldfinch appeared, cautiously surveying its prospects for looting material from the abandoned nest.

Goldfinch plucking

It began helping itself to fibers conveniently brought by the Orioles to this treetop cache.

Eastern Kingbird

Meanwhile, a pair of Kingbirds felt clear to set up housekeeping near the top of the tree.

Kingbird building

They took a bottom-up approach to nest construction, distinct from the artfully woven suspension system of the Orioles.

Kingbird brooding

The less glamorous structure nevertheless serves Kingbirds well. As agile-flying members of the Flycatcher family, they don't seem concerned about being able to ward off nest robbers threatening their highly visible promontory.

The second nest

Meanwhile, the Oriole pair shifted their nest location to a branch on an adjacent tree that promised to leaf out with a protective canopy. 

The female felt secure enough with this alternate site to settle in for egg laying.

Evidently the chicks have hatched, as the male Oriole stops in periodically to help feed the young ones. He dives aggressively at blackbirds loitering in the vicinity.

The script of life goes on successfully without perfection.