Hi,
I enjoyed close views of the continuing Bullock's at the Sortwell residence this afternoon. The bird had made several feeder appearances throughout the day. We watched as it snacked heartily on mealworms, grapes and mashed banana; the blueberries in the tray went untasted. Being a keen observed of behavior, Melinda had noted the "gaping" manner of feeding, where the oriole inserts its closed bill into a grape and then , once inside, prys open its bill to lap up and consume the interior pulp with its tongue. Another interesting observation was the bird tucking one leg into its belly feathers to stay warm. Tucking of legs (and bills) is a familiar tactic for shorebirds working to conserve energy reserves, but leg tucking may be a new and adaptive (mother of invention) phenomenon for a migratory species that basically lives under perpetual summer conditions year round. With frigid weather predicted over the weekend, the Bullock's will need all the caloric support it can get.
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