I could use some help clearing up confusion about an oriole I watched for 15
minutes this morning (5/23) from 6:15 to 6:30 in Bellingham WA's south hill
(corner Gambier and 12th street). At first I thought I had a yellow-headed
blackbird in my styrax japonica. But this was an oriole, although not
apparently either Bullock's or Baltimore.

The bird was about 8 or 9 inches, with a "sleek" profile. The bill was thin,
black, slightly recurved. The color was bright yellow, very very bright
yellow on the breast and rump and tending toward yellow-orange around the
head and neck. The back was black, and the black wings marked with a thin
white wing bar and white edgings to the primaries. (The colors were "fresh,"
with clear distinctions.) A black "bib" extended from his bill through his
eyes then down the front of his neck to the breast. The long black tail at
times appeared to wedge shaped. He pumped it quite a bit as he worked the
styrax. I didn't hear any calls--I was inside and didn't want to alarm him
by stepping out the door and into his field of view.

My impulse is to call this bird a Hooded Oriole, but that doesn't seem quite
possible. I can find no reference to any in the state or this area--and we
have no palm trees that I know of. With what other birds could I be
confusing him?

Thanks in advance for any help. (I get tweeters digested and so won't read
your responses until Friday. Feel free to e-mail me directly if you have
questions.)

Lynn Dunlap
Bellingham WA
tmooreaia at aol.com