While birding this morning at James River Park (42nd St.) in Richmond, I
located the nascent nest of a Baltimore Oriole. For forty-five minutes, I
watched the female weave fibers into the nest. Eventually, a male stopped by,
checked out the nest, but contributed no nesting material. If you have never
witnessed a pensile nest under construction (I hadn't), here is a good
opportunity. Not sure how long the show will last--the "Birder's Handbook"
suggests 5-15 days. For those interested, directions to the nest site follow.
Jeff Keiser
Richmond, VA
The nest is visible from an opening (to the river) on the main trail about
100-150 meters east of the railway crossover bridge at the 42nd St. parking
area. There are several piles of gravel at the opening on your left--just past
a small shelter on the right. If you stand at the river's edge, the nest sits
about 50-60 feet up a sweet gum (if I recall) that grows from one of the small
islands just offshore and east of the opening. During my observation, the
female departed for nesting material about every five minutes. Locking onto
her during a return flight would be the simplest way to locate the nest. The
view is distant, but unobstructed--a spotting scope on a tripod would be ideal.
My 12x binocs were sufficient for viewing, but unless you have image
stabilized binoculars, I'd suggest you skip the grande, double-shot
mocha...unlike myself...
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