Most years the orioles arrive at my feeder around May 5. Hummingbirds too. But a friend of mine, living about an hour west of me, had an oriole on her feeder Easter Sunday!

So I put my feeder up a few days ago and Friday evening, during an hours long torrential downpour, my first oriole visited! I wasn’t sure I saw him, –it was getting dark and the rain was coming down in sheets.

I didn’t get a photo.

But the next morning, after I went out and emptied the water from his feeder and filled it up with grape jelly, he showed up!

He was still skittish and I got no images, but I stayed very still, holding Penny tight, and watched him eat his fill.

And late in the afternoon, as I stood across the room, I saw him again. My camera was within reach and I got these images, focus soft, but capturing the joy I felt to see him here.

And guess what? Later in the evening I realized there are TWO of them here! They chased each other around the beach tree which acts as the landing area for all birds visiting our feeders.

I can’t wait to set the camera on it’s tripod and use a remote shutter release. We’ll see what we shall see.

And today the hummingbird feeder goes up. If the orioles are here, the hummingbirds are too.