I don't see them often, and generally only at a distance, up in the tree canopy far above. The Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) is a tropical species, and is only in our area during the warmer months of the year. I've been watching for them for a couple of weeks, and was thrilled to see one yesterday up in an oak tree across the parking lot. I could barely see it except for the bright yellow orange color.
And that's why today was such a shock. I was standing under a much shorter tree along the Tuolumne River Parkway Trail, and this Bullock's Oriole simply landed in front of me, maybe only 20 feet away. It's going to be a long time before I again get a picture like the one above. It flew off up the hillside and got into a little chase with a second Oriole. What a privilege to see them up so close, and so unexpected.
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