Orioles here; where are the berries?

Outstanding photo of Baltimore oriole eating a mulberry
taken by Steve Creek

Everything that grows in Michigan seems to be out of sync this summer because of the weirdly warm spring. Many of the fruit bearing trees budded as early as March, then lost all growth when we had a hard frost at the end of April.  Current estimates go as high as 90% ruin for cherries and other Michigan fruit crops.  The mulberry tree in my neighbor's yard has about 1/10th as many berries as it usually does.

Orioles seem to have an affinity for tart mulberries.  Today as I finished my run and walked past the mulberry an orange flash flew by, sans berries.  I wonder... We Michiganders will have to pay more for fruit this year, and we won't be getting as much locally grown as we usually enjoy, but where will the birds go? I've had the pleasure of seeing bright orange orioles in that mulberry tree for many years.  I hope one bad year here doesn't mean that next year the Orioles will go somewhere else.

Nec aspera terrent!

6/9/12 - 2.0 miles |  22 min | 5.1 mph | 209 kcal