As a treat my wife and kids made a cardboard cut-out and put it in our garden for my 40th birthday a few years back!!
It was awesome....

I get somewhat spoilt by the number of Golden Oriole in and around the village of Valor in the Alpujarra's where we have a house. Last year at least 17 birds and 7 breeding pairs confirmed.

My best self-found bird is a Golden Oriole. On some coastal gorse near St Austell in 1983 while out walking with my mum and dad.

I was at Spurn on 25th May 2012 when there were 5 Golden Oriel present, a record number for one day there. I was lucky enough to see four of them. Three of a group of four that was passing through plus a male that had been there for a few days. Something that I shall always remember.

Was lucky enough to see a pair of them bathing in the river Dronne when I used to visit a friend in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne in Poiteau-Charante. They were dipping in like Swallows right in the middle of the river just above where it goes over a weir used by the local Discovery Centre for kayaking. Certainly seemed as if I was dreaming when I first saw them.

Seen and heard these beautiful birds in andalucia in 2013.

Just been to Hungary during May and saw several and heard loads more. There are lots around Tiszafured, plus a pair at Hortobagy Halasto which surprised me as there aren't many tall trees at this famous reserve. They seem much more obliging and far less secretive than the few British ones.

Heard and seen them on trips to Croatia - very glad as I really had to wait half an hour and go into a woods off limits from the main paths (although I followed tracks in the woods; Croatia has many landmines left after the Homeland War.

Not many more beautiful birdsongs than Golden Oriole are there. Had them singing here in Loire but as usual difficult to see. Most of the ones here had left by mid June, only heard one since then, but I did see one perched in my local forest, and a family group fly over me as I was doing my cleaning up after 9 horses, so had no bins with me at the time, just a pitchfork and a wheelbarrow full of poo unfortunately.

I agree Charles, the birdsong and the colour of these birds will brighten up the darkest of days.

Hi Charles,
what a co-incidence to read this on the very day that Tom Jones and I saw our first Golden Oriole flying over our holiday garden near Marmande. We were lucky to glance away from the Green Woodpecker that was in our garden at the time. A dream came true for us, anyway

While working in Toulouse France last week,Lots of common Birds as seen around Manchester,and a few that I could not ID,as having no Binocs with me.Then about 4.30am in my digs I was awakened,by this beautiful birdsong ,I got out of bed and looked out of the window and WOW.Ten feet away was this Golden Bird,singing his heart out.This was my greatest moment of watching birds Ive ever had.Has anyone else had a dream bird come to them ?As though it was meant to be