I painted this in March, when the orange trees in Los Angeles are bedecked with fragrant, waxy flowers. When the air is still, one may smell the delicious perfume only directly under the tree, as if the scent were so lush and heavy that it falls slowly, viscously from the flowers like an invisible drape. This phenomenon delights not only people but also insects, and thus birds like the Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) who are busy fueling their migration.

​

Intoxicated by the heady scent, this warbler pauses a moment amid the potent blooms, hanging on one foot. The flowers seem to crowd flirtatiously around his head, overwhelming the bird in a bouquet of solid citrus petals and perfume. Many are curling open, but many of the flowers are still closed, developing their treasured scent and promising abundance in the coming weeks. On the campuses of the Claremont Colleges, hundreds of these flowers later fall unblemished to the ground; treading on this fine carpet is one of spring’s delights.