"How comes it, Oriole, thou hast come to fly
In tropic splendor through our northern sky?"
Edgar Fawcett asks this question in his poem. Who is there that may
answer him? The Baltimore Oriole comes to us in early May and stays
until about the first of September. This bird, sometimes called the
Golden Robin, is a namesake of George Calvert, or Lord Baltimore, who
was the first proprietor of Maryland. Indeed, he does seem "golden" as
he flashes about among green leaves. However, he is a relation of the
blackbirds, rather than of the robins.
Colors: The brilliant orange and black feathers of the Oriole are the
marks by which the bird may be identified. The head, shoulders and
neck, and the upper section of the back are of a gleaming black.
The breast is of a bright orange, sometimes almost golden in its
color.
Song: A loud, sometimes bold, whistle from the top of a sweeping elm
tree often announces the presence of the Baltimore Oriole. He is a
fine songster of considerable ability. His song is characterized
by a richness that gives a truly musical quality to his efforts.
The same poet asks further:
"At some glad moment was it Nature's choice and charm
To dower a scrap of sunset with a voice?"
Nest: The beautiful hanging nest of the Baltimore Oriole is often
suspended from the end of the branch of some shade tree, where it
sways with every passing breeze. It is composed of hair, strings,
grasses, bark lining and other similar materials all closely
interwoven with the greatest of skill. The eggs, four to six in
number, are of a white color marked with wavy blackish lines and
spots. This bird has been known to make very good use of yarn,
string, and even strips of cloth, placed where they might easily
be found and woven into the nest. Some nests built almost entirely
of string have been found.
[Illustration: _The Baltimore Oriole--7½ inches_]