Crazed with lust

We have put oranges out for the Baltimore orioles for years with nary a problem, but this year, one poor bird is off her rocker and is unwilling to share her mate or her territory with her reflection as seen in our picture window.

The female oriole has been attacking the window, using the grapevine arbor in front of the window as a staging area for the attacks.

The male hangs about nearby, but really hasn't joined in the fray. There are at last 2 pairs of orioles in the area, as there has been in the past, but this is the first year they have displayed such reluctance to share. The poor oriole worked the window over until dusk last night, and started in again this morning bright and early. Much to the disgust of my three fascinated cats, I finally stapled a piece of floating row cover over the window, and eventually the oriole gave up. It isn't pretty but I couldn't stand the idea of the poor bird banging on the window all day. Although come to think of it, I can see her point, I've dated men in the past who nearly drove me to head banging.