This and that from the U.P.: Birds and Flowers!!

Today's theme?

Birds and flowers!

Luckily, I have plenty of both where I live

and

I really enjoy both, too.

A patch of Vinca Minor...

I was lucky.

When we built  our house, they were growing wild in a patch by our trees, so of course I kept them!:

They are electric blue/purple in color.

Here is a closeup:

This one is a bit blurry, and I wasn't going to keep it.

But I did, because I do not know what kind of bird it is..

and I am relying on my blogger friends to help me figure it out!

I think it is a female, but I am not sure...

HELP ME???

What kind of bird is this cutie?:

And I WAIT....(impatiently!)

EVERY.
YEAR.

For my beloved Trilliums to burst forward from the forest floor.

They are protected wildflowers in Michigan.

I just love them:

(When they get old and are about to die, they turn pinkish purple. I will have more shots of them in future posts).

One day...

I was downstairs on my computer (imagine that!?)

and my husband hollered for me to come upstairs...STAT!

He sounded very excited!

Either he had won the lotto or something else (good) was happening.

He had spied a bright TANGERINE colored bird in the trees....

We had never seen that colored bird here,
EVER.

So I grabbed my camera to help me identify it.

He was only in the yard a total of about 60 seconds.....

I had to take the pictures through a window, so they aren't crystal clear...

but I wanted to share them with you.

I THINK this is an Oriole (which we NEVER have here).

Am I right?:

(Isn't he ADORABLE??? And LOOK at that red blush along its breast with the tangerine color! WOW!)

I was SHAKING, trying to make sure I got his photo before he flew away!:

He was one of the prettiest birds we have ever seen grace our yard!

I was smitten as soon as I saw his coloring!

But when I saw his chubby little body

and that impish face???

Well, it was definitely

love at first sight:

I hope my fellow bloggers can confirm for me that he is an Oriole? Is he a Baltimore Oriole?

We were also graced with four Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, but they

only stayed for about three weeks, and we have not seen them since:

I am so grateful that these beautiful birds took a rest stop in our yard.

I wonder if they knew

how thrilled we were to see them?

(They were probably saying to each other: "What is the big deal with that lady flying around inside her house to get that camera out? Gheesh, we can't even eat or hang out with out the Papparazzi trying to capture us!

Get a life, people!")

That's okay...

I don't mind stalking them.

It is a LOT more fun than following movie stars or rock stars around.

To ME,

the birds ARE rock stars!