The sky was a nondescript shade of gray when I woke up in the morning. After days of bright sun, the prospect of a little spring rain would have been more welcome had I not been going to co-lead a bird walk that day.

As I left my apartment I grabbed my raincoat; I hoped I wouldn’t need it, but darker, threatening clouds loomed farther in the distance. Sure enough, it began to rain as I drove to meet my trip co-leader, Paul Markson. I wondered how many people would show up, if any at all.

As it turned out, 12 stalwart participants met us at Pushaw Lake’s Gould’s Landing at the end of Essex Street. Some were experienced birders while others were relatively new, and it was great to have them along. The Maine Audubon bird walk, co-sponsored by the Orono Land Trust, had been planned to highlight the area’s differences in habitat and birds, as well as the work put into The Pushaw Marsh trail by members of the Trust.

At the landing the birds put on a show for us. Tree swallows skimmed over the surface of the lake, grabbing flying insects out of the air. In contrast, an eastern kingbird sat perched on a dead branch protruding from the water, sallying out to catch its breakfast. Red-winged blackbirds sang their bubbly song, while flashing their scarlet epaulets in challenge to each other. At one point, I glanced up at the telephone wires running along Hemlock Point Road, which separates Pushaw Lake from Pushaw Marsh; several tree swallows were gathered there, and more joined them as we watched.

The swallows, seemingly delighted by the rain shower, were busily preening and ruffling their feathers. Soon we realized barn swallows had joined the tree swallows, and all were perched companionably together, enjoying a communal bath. It was a textbook perfect view of the visual identification clues each species presented.

The highlight of the morning, however, was the presence of northern (or “Baltimore”) orioles.

These robin-sized birds are impossible to miss. The males have blazing orange plumage on their chests, bellies, and tails, which contrasts brilliantly with black plumage on their heads and backs. They literally brightened up this gray, rainy morning.

Female orioles are less conspicuous than their mates; they have the same plumage patterns but instead of bright orange, their chests are adorned with a pale yellow wash. Immature birds are similarly colored, but also lack the dark head. Males don’t acquire their colorful plumage until their second year.

Even if the bird itself was hidden by foliage, its melodious song drew attention to its whereabouts. Full, rich, and loud, the song is as brazen as its author. It is somewhat reminiscent of a robin’s song, but is longer and less repetitive. It is sometimes interspersed with a quieter, grating chatter.

Throughout the remainder of the walk, it seemed as if orioles were everywhere. At one point I heard three of the birds singing at once from different locales. No wonder there were so many of them; the woodland edge and open, riparian forest habitat we were passing through is ideal for them.

A few other birds heard from the trail rounded out the morning’s tally: a black-throated green warbler sang a few times, while white-throated sparrows gave their high-pitched call notes as they foraged low to the ground. We also viewed two loons on the marshy side of Hemlock Point Road.

The oriole was definitely the star of the morning, and we were thrilled that participants had such great views of this outstanding songbird.

For information on Bird Walks on May 22, 24, and 30, please call the Fields Pond Audubon Center at 989-2591.

BDN bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net