This is War

It started with oranges. We put a few out for the Baltimore Orioles. If you build it they will come and they did, several in fact.

Two hung around. A regular adult male and this individual. I hesitate to say he or she, as it is mostly female-colored and it hangs with the male mentioned above. However, it acts like a fella, singing, flaunting itself, and attacking everything in sight.

It started with the passenger window on the car, all day, hour after hour, staring at its reflection and then fluttering up and down the window, all fight and no flight.

I tried spraying foam on the window so the reflection would be hidden.

No dice.

So I cleaned that off and the next time we came home the boss parked the car in a different spot. Simple eh?

Or not. Just a short time ago we heard a noise in the kitchen. We thought it was Peggy, but there was no answer from that quarter when we spoke...still asleep.

Mebbe a giant rat?

Ugh.

The boss went to check.

It was (and is even as we speak) the oriole. Sitting on the windowsill over the kitchen sink, pecking the window, and flaring and flashing.

Mack went so crazy I had to put him up in the kennel run to shut him up.You'd think the Spartans were at the door. All of them.

At least he is a pretty bird. Guess we will have to get used to his territorial defense strategy for now at least.

BTW the birds seem to have been rendered a little desperate by this prolonged cold weather. The feeders are thronged. I put some dried fruit out for the orioles and catbirds, and to my surprise robins started coming to partake. Within a couple of days they are literally waiting for me on the doorstep in the morning! Hard times for insect and worm eaters. 

****Has anyone else noticed that Baltimore Orioles seem to be singing, "Swing me the cradle, swing it"? Seems kinda fitting.

Bonus bird, Tree Swallow, lookit them shoulders! Must work out. Or else
bugs'll really bulk you up.