Golden Oriole sighting???

As unlikely as this sounds I'm pretty sure that I saw a pair (male  & female) of Golden Oriole this morning below Stanage Edge near Hathersage in Debyshire.  The male caught my eye first: bright yellow, bigger than a blackbird, smaller than a wood pigeon, undulating flight, flew out of a tree.  It just went out of sight when I saw a duller bird having the same size and shape and squared off tail, which I took to be the female, fly off in the same direction as the male.

The RSPB website would suggest this is a highly unlikely sighting (too far north) but I can't think what else it might be.  The only other birds I can think off that are this yellow would be Yellowhammer and Yellow Wagtail and it was much bigger than either of them.  Nor was it a Green Woodpecker, though it was that sort of size.

Anyone got any other suggestions as to what this might have been if it wasn't an Oriole?

  • I probably got very lucky with a migrating one, who saw the feeding scrum below. Good luck with your search, they are worth it. Especially if you get to see one in sunlight.

  • I was lucky enough to see them 2years ago

    as they nested right on the edge of the wood,

    as you say to see them in the sunlight is amazing

  • Do they eat peanuts too, or is it exclusively fruit. I was so lucky that builder left the banana on a wall. Or it would have flown off before I looked out the window. I didn't see it land, it was already there, ripping into the banana. But it eat all of it, there was about 1/3 left I think and then flew off East.

    If they eat peanuts, I have a much greater chance of seeing one again. I didn't see this one eat any peanuts but there were squirrels there, so even if it wanted them it wouldn't have been able to get them. But peanuts is the main thing my garden in known to the local wildlife for. I really hope they eat peanuts.

  • Orioles eat insects mainly, also berries,

  • There's nothing like that really except loads of Ivy with those little berries/seeds I'm not sure what they are classed as. I have a stawberry patch but they've only just finished blosseming same as my plum tree. Nothing to eat yet.

    I never knew Jays were so fond of shelled peanuts either, but I just wonder if that's it. If it is I've much better chance of seeing one again. I almost hesitate to to say this (at risk of sounding unbelievable), but last year I saw a green bird at a distance pecking through the ivy on a neaby big tree. Which Identified as a green woodpecker, I just wonder. I never heard it peck (like a woodpecker) or sing. I'm not claiming it was a female, but now there is a small doubt in my mind that just maybe, it wasn't a green woodpecker. But I didn't see it for long enough or close enough to remember it now. Whereas I can't forget this golden bird. I can picture him photo-perfect in my mind.

  • You could try mealworms & maybe

    chop some apple up or a handful of raisins,

    anything to bring them back, lol

  • Here is one at Lakenheath

    taken on friday, what a beauty !!

    www.rspb.org.uk/.../sun-shine-bird.aspx

  • It never came back despite me trying various things you suggested. I'll try again next year, you never know. They have good memories, if he enjoyed himself. He may come back this way next year.

  • I had a male very close to me several times this morning while fishing very early in Norfolk unmistakable and its call.
  • No. Bobbing about between some trees. Watched it for few minutes. Then again as I left the lake in a oak calling 500 Myra from where I first saw it.