Hooded Oriole

Icterus cucullatus, silently foraging at the top of the plum tree until I startled him and he flew off to the next yard. Hard to miss that distinctive color. By the time I came back with my camera, I couldn't find him at all, and suddenly there he was right above me in the plum tree again! I saw the female oriole around this time last year so I'm tempted to make up a story of migration. The bird site calls them "palm-leaf orioles," because they sew their nests to the undersides of palm leaves. There are a couple of giant palms across the street. I thought they only housed rats and squirrels, but now I will have to keep an eye out for these gorgeous birds.