This is the female Hooded Oriole that visits the hummingbird feeder outside our kitchen window every day and dines on the hummingbird food. We’ve been feeding hummingbirds for several years now, but this is the first summer we’ve seen Hooded Orioles in our yard. We see the female most often. Her mate does eat from the feeder, but appears to be more shy, and when he does visit he doesn’t stay for long. Below You see a photo I was able to take of both birds together. He is much more brilliant in color. Bright yellow and black, the female is olive and black.

 Below you see two of several Anna’s hummingbirds that visit our feeder all year round. The Anna’s Hummingbird does not migrate south during the winter, so we can enjoy them in Orange County, both in summer and winter. The Hooded Orioles migrate to southern coastal Mexico during the winter months and return to Southern California in the spring. The hummingbirds and orioles seem very willing to share the sugar water. I do however,  have to prepare fresh batches of food more often than in the past, but It’s well worth it, especially since it allows us such a wonderful view of these beautiful birds. We’ll miss seeing the Orioles when they leave us in late summer, but it’s nice to know that the little Anna’s will stay with us, and hopefully the Hooded Orioles will return next spring.