[cayugabirds-l] orioles and appleblossoms?

[Melanie Uhlir]

I have very much been enjoying the glorious and fragrant blossoms of 
crabapple trees, especially at the collection of said trees in the F.R. 
Newman Arboretum. I have further been delighted by the frequenting of 
these trees by orioles (I've only seen males so far). I am curious if 
anyone knows what they are gleaning from the buds and blossoms. They do 
not appear to be eating the buds or flower petals. They delicately put 
the bills in the blossoms, coming away with something that is invisible 
to me. Nectar? Pollen? Tiny insects? Stamens? Whatever they are doing it 
is certainly lovely to watch. And they like it so much that I saw two 
males in one tree seemingly oblivious to each other.

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