On July 5, 2025, I saw an adult male Baltimore Oriole land on my grape jelly feeder with a large moth in its beak. He was perched on one of the perching rings. He then dipped the moth several times in the jelly before taking off. Since he dipped it several times, it seemed intentional to me. I wondered if he was going to feed the moth to one of his fledglings, which had just started to visit the jelly feeder with the parents. Did he keep the moth for himself or was it a sweet treat for a fledgling? I wish I knew, but it was fascinating and something I’d never seen before.
Editor’s Note: The author, who lives in Derry, New Hampshire, is familiar with moths and thinks it might have been a Banded Tussock Moth in the oriole’s beak.
Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Summer 2025!
- Bonaparte’s Gull Foot Paddling by Jim Sparrell
- Bridled Tern Goes A-Courting by Kathryn Frieden
- Cliff Swallow Nest Site in Dover by Cameron Johnson
- Condiment for an Oriole by Kathleen Cerutti
- Killdeer Display by Bruce Conti
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