Holler Bickersons~

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I was a psychotherapist before I took early retirement, and among other things, I specialized in the group treatment of anger and violence.
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So, it is with no small irony, that I present to you the untreatable Bickersons, who have moved in to the former peace and quiet of Hollerdom, turning it into a downright Hollerfest!
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Man, do these birds bicker! This is one cranky lady Oriole, and she is certainly giving this guy a piece of her mind.
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The guys, hang around drinking nectar, and soon they too, come to words.
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When the ladies get involved, it’s hard to hear what anyone is saying with all the squawking going on!
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At least they never resort to actual fighting. The hummingbirds could learn a thing or three about this, but they don’t seem open to feedback.
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These birds started out so shy, but as you can see now, they are quite at home at The Holler!
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Cheers to you from the beautiful, bickersome, but highly entertaining, Holler Hooded Orioles~

249 thoughts on “Holler Bickersons~

  1. Beautiful photos of Hooded Orioles! My son and I enjoyed these…and LOL at your description of their bickering! We occasionally leave oranges out for our Baltimore Orioles but they never come for them. Sometimes a butterfly will feed on the oranges but even that is rare.

  2. Noisy critters, huh? 🙂 But, they sure are pretty ones, too. Bet, you wish for some peace and quiet with them around. Interesting that you shared that you were once a therapist. I have been working with a therapist for three weeks now after having my right knee joint replacement surgery over 3 weeks ago. I am doing well with therapy and getting my knee totally straight (to 0 degree) and a good bend now (120 degree). It is still painful at times but happy with the progress. Enjoy your retirement, Cindy.

    1. I don’t think I am the same sort of therapist. I am a psychotherapist, but I hope your knee gets better. I’m sure the recovery is no fun, but I hear the outcome can be well worth it! I hope you heal quickly~

      1. Thanks. I am doing much better with the right knee this time than I did with the left knee when that joint replacement surgery was done almost four years ago.

  3. “Hahaha! It’s a sitcom..”The Bickerson’s” Luv these birds. I’ve never seen one, but it would sure be neat to hear them bicker.

    1. They are actually delightful birds! They do bicker, a lot, but it quiet, kinda like a rapid clicking. I just love having them here obviously, since I attract them with oranges!

    1. It is SO much fun. It is like the audoban garden here at The Holler. Now I’m putting out nuts for the pileated woodpeckers who seem sad they don’t have their own feed dish. Laughing………but, it’s true!

  4. Beautiful, if noisy, colourful birds. I was interested in seeing you put out halved oranges for them.
    Interesting to hear that you worked in anger management too, Cindy.

    1. Yes, I adore these birds and I attract them with oranges. They are notoriously shy birds, so it is really wonderful they have become so comfortable at The Holler. We all get a lot of entertainment out of watching their antics!

  5. Hahaha, in the second photo from the top, I can hear the female yelling to the male, “Hey! Hey!!! Look at me when I’m talking to you!” She seems as feisty as my Nikita! Good on you Cindy for spoiling all the birds in your area! Oranges! Yum! (I actually bought a bags of ice and distributed the ice into the crevices of rocks in our yard, so the birds and critters would have more water sources this summer.) 😛 <3 ~Lynn

  6. Great photos, as usual! I love to watch when the birds around our feeder chatter and argue, too–and also the birds in our neighborhood. I have the windows open right now, and there’s quite a chorus going on. 🙂

    1. My son said to me the other day, “What will you do if a bird flies in your open window?
      This is where is sit blogging, and taking bird photos. I said, “That has never happened.”
      The next day, a finch flew in the window, landed on the top of my laptop screen, with my staring in astonishment. He stayed there for a second, flew back out of the house, landed on the ground looking at me as if to ask, “Where was I? What just happened?”
      Hilarious……

  7. Oh Cindy, you made me laugh! I love the second picture, the one of a couple. The male’s face says it all 🙂 Funny birds! Thank you for sharing – you made my morning 🙂

    1. It is so anthropomorphic, I can’t believe it! There is a whole series of shots of this couple. The female is just verbally tearing into him, he first looks at her, then he starts to lean away from her, once he tries to speak up for himself, provoking more fury, so eventually he just turns away. Incredibly similar to the dynamics of some human couples.

  8. Dear Cindy, your photographs of the Orioles and the captions under these photos are priceless, I love their conversations among themselves. Truly magnificent! 🙂

  9. Wonderful to see these beautiful photos on Saturday morning. These captures are incredible 🙂 Thank you, Cindy! Have a great weekend. <3

  10. You should invite them on an anger management seminar and could call it “From a screaming bird to a singing bird” – great post added some wonderful captures… 🙂

    1. Wow! What a concept. This would be an excellent strategy to spread the bird word, and then I could blog about the effective intervention and it’s glorious results!

    1. It isn’t too late is it? I know some migrate down to the Gulf of Mexico and Belize, but they should still be here. The Holler ones stay year round……

    1. I leave them for 2 days, but by the time I change them, they are completely consumed, so they aren’t really out that long. I live in a rural, un-incorporated area north east of San Diego.

  11. Cindy, I just love this post. The photographs are incredible and your narrative made me laugh. I have both Orioles and Hummingbirds in my yard and every bit of what you wrote, rings true here too. What a wonderful sense of humour you have and advanced photography skills. I know I will enjoy reading here in the future. 🙂

  12. I love this! You made me smile ear to ear and I thank you for that! Have a great weekend – doubt there will be much peace and quiet with these jabber jaws lol.

    1. I just can’t believe the change in their personalities! Initially they were so afraid of people, they would land for a second and disappear. Now, six of more will hang out on the feeder arguing for ages. I love they are less afraid now….

    1. My dest looks out on the side garden where all the feeders are, there must be a hundred birds. Now the pileated woodpeckers are coming closer. They are extremely shy birds, but so far I have gotten 3 good photos of them. Hoping for more!

  13. I love your sense of humor with this post, Cindy. And the photos that accompany the story are absolutely breathtaking. I love to see the Orioles when we’re lucky enough to entice a few over to where I live, but I’ve never witnessed the bantering you’ve been able to capture. What a treat!

  14. Wow, what a brave career. One angry person turns me into a mouse, a group turn me into mercury. Love the birds and can forgive them at this distance. We have very quarrelsome magpies in our garden, though they do look splendid.

    1. Yes, magpies are incredibly intelligent and fun birds to interact with. I enjoy them especially because I only see them when I travel. They seem to enjoy human attention, and give sticks and things as presents!

  15. Gorgeous birds, lovely photos! Doesn’t seem to be much peace and quiet when they’re around, but hey, at least they’re not hurting each other, right?!

  16. The three on the feeder make a great photo, posed perfectly.
    I noticed the shadows they cast, did you get a shot with the full shadows included?
    I think they are all hyped up on that sweet nectar.
    They are like children that get too many lollies.
    That is a layman’s diagnosis.

    1. Could well be, and yes the shadow were mirror reflections. I thought about them, but eliminated them for the post as much as possible. I will look back at them and consider including the shadows. It was especially interesting to see the shadows of the birds in flight. Thanks for noticing this Jack and for the prompt! I will follow up on it and I appreciate it.

      1. Those shadows looked so good I wanted to see more of them. Even at the expense of the composition. The way you presented the photos went well with the post. The way those birds were balanced made them the whole attraction. Adding the shadows would diminish the effect you achieved.
        I would like to see how you follow up on this idea. I just take snap-shots but I like to l pay with shadows and reflections. You have probably noticed this in my blog photos. Pleased you found the shadows interesting too.

      2. I love shadow and reflection. They fascinate me because they challenge our perceptive abilities to objectively observe. It’s like looking in a mirror. It’s you, but it’s not. I think all human perception may have this same filtering effect. In order to make sense of visual phenomona, our brain, through our eyes, filter what we recoginize and see. You are so perceptive to have noticed the shadows. You are right it would change the composition, but I have already been looking at them and considering due to your excellent feedback. Thank you Jack.

  17. Did you treat the angry or the ones who suffered from angry partners? Birds can be aggressive, can’t they? I never thought of them as angry, but you are no doubt right. Imagine how they must feel when a squirrel drives them away from a bird feeder!

    1. In London I watched the foxes get a magpie. The magpie proceeded to taunt, bedevil, chase and pester the foxes for many hours. Magpies are in the corvid family. Corvids are being studied for their prodigious memory. They will remember the face of a person who does a bad thing to them for years! Birds definitely get angry, and may even hold grudges. Rather human like, no?

      1. Now that also reminds me of people who study crows. They say the same things about crows. The crows even remembered his car — he was prone to climbing into nests, which they did NOT like. They would see his car in another part of town and scream at him. Must have made his life quite exciting. They also never forget someone who feeds them. They leave presents.

      2. Yes. Exactly crows are corvids. They do not forgive and forget! 😉 I think we read some of the same studies. Woodpeckers can remember where they hide thousands of acorns. Can you imagine us doing this? Yes meat eating is becomming increasingly impossible for me too. I am moving away from it and not missing it. Did you read about the US dentist who lured a collared lion out a national park with meat, shot him with an arrow, and then killed him 40 hours later with a rifle. He has photos of himself with rhinos, leopards, and big horn sheep he shot with arrows. It is the first time I made a rude comment to someone online. I told him he is a small man. He is, a small man with big arrows, and no heart. He’s raising kids. I hope they can find a way to love and protect wildlife.

  18. Howdy. Every time WP makes a change somewhere, the latest with their Reader –
    it seems to mess up something else. Hope you are having a wonderful
    season – cheers, Jules

    I see you’ve been busy too – I spent some time in Kentucky (hubby had a job there) – and we’ll be going to your way (at least I think) this weekend. Looking forward to seeing the Blue Moon on the west coast.

    1. Yes, they are fixing some of the deficits in the new reader format recently, I noticed, which is good. Welcome to the west coast, the moon is quite gorgeous, and I hope you have a wonderful visit! <3

  19. Great photos and beautiful birds even if they are noisy. Feeding birds can be very educational and entertaining, I am often surprised from my own experience when feeding birds just how seemingly angry and aggressive they can be.

    1. Si, exactamente! El comportamiento de rebano pajaro me recuerda de la conducta humana en grupos por lo que me encuentro tan interesante. Las aves son mucho menos daninos que los seres humanos, sin embargo, y en realidad no se llevan mejor.

  20. Cindy, I do believe there French cousins are in the lovely park-like garden beneath my bedroom window. While some do bicker, many have lovely voices and sing me awake.

    1. Cicadas can create quite the symphony can’t they! I have been places where they are extremely loud, but it is a soothing sound isn’t it! Thanks much & cheers~

  21. A pair of bluebirds moved into a “decorative bird house” that has been hanging (unoccupied) on our deck for years. They don’t fight among themselves, we do not like when we come to sit on our deck. Fortunately, they should hatch and fledge their young in a few weeks. Amazing photos you got of the orioles. Our variety mostly hide in the trees.
    Oscar

    1. I have an owl box that sounds like your bird house. It is on it’s second year with no owls. How exciting to be able to watch and photograph the bluebird’s nesting. I look forward to your photos!

  22. Hi Cuz
    Been another busy period. I just don’t seem to have any time of my own anymore. The job jar is always full, and when it isn’t, the kids/grandkids want/need something, so I’m left with fleeting moments to read, write ???, and visit with friends (and cousins). The orioles are beautiful birds, but, as you note, bicker a lot, and there are neighbors down the street that are bad enough, I wouldn’t want that scenario in my back yard !!!! Ha ! 🙂 Hugs.

    1. The human bickering is much harder to take isn’t it cuz? I am not surprised you are busy, you have so many interests and abilities, and of course family is a first priority. No worries. We are here, waiting until you have time. Be well cuz and enjoy the sunshine! <3

  23. I love orioles and when I was growing up we saw some Baltimore Orioles around in the Sandusky, Ohio area. I am not sure if I have seen any lately, Cindy. I wished to let you know I hope you don’t mind a little advertising, I am posting tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29, 2015) my August calendar. I like to do this mid-week usually to help boost views and also, prepare my readers, fellow bloggers to upcoming events. Like the full moon on July 31st into August 1st has a big musical event going on in New York City, so needed to get people’s traveling arrangements into consideration. 🙂 I mention your blog due to a beautiful quote I found about hummingbirds and your posts always are so beautiful, Cindy. No one’s birds and creatures are more lovely. Thanks for your unspoken agreement to this, since I don’t post photos I just send them to check out your Holler hummingbirds. Hugs, Robin

    1. Did you know my former aunt in law was a Sandusky from Sandusky? You are so kind Robin and courteous too. Thank you my friend for you continuous kindess! <3 <3

  24. Those yellow birds are absolutely so stunning. They are so yellow! Yellow is my Dad’s favourite colour and I currently have a huge bunch of daffodils on my kitchen table. My grandfather gave me a daffodil in a pot as a child for my birthday and I’ve never forgotten. xx Rowena

      1. It sure is! I’m sorry I’ve been off the grid. Getting married. Having heart surgery (I’m good), and experiencing a growing practice has made blogging a bit more difficult and following (in a sincerely genuine fashion) my blogger friends very difficult. But I always love to see what you are up to. So glad to have stopped in! ❤️❤️❤️

      2. I knew about the marriage and am very happy for you both, but not the heart surgery. Heart surgery is traumatic even with the best possible outcomes. Rest well and be well my dear friend. <3

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