An Oriole Summer!

Last summer I saw my first flash of gold and black at one of the hummingbird feeders. It definitely was only a brief glimpse, but long enough for me identify the bird as an Oriole with the help of my trusty field guide. Later I was able to narrow it down -- the bird was a male Hooded Oriole. I saw him occasionally then . . . but this summer has been different. All I can say is "wow" because a family of Hooded's have taken up summer residence near my jelly feeder. As far as I can tell the family consists of one male, his mate and at least one female offspring. The jelly feeder never seems to stop swinging from the constant visits. The feeder hangs under my patio deck roof so is very close. That is a good thing because I've discovered these birds are very flighty and do not stay long in one place. They are nervous around humans they can see nearby. That is very different from the more tolerant Goldfinches that I can approach as they hang on the thistle feeder. So having the Oriole feeder very near provides a great view of these beautiful birds from inside the house.

Since I live in California the Hooded Orioles that visit us are the Western species which are more golden in color than the orange of Eastern variety. I lived in Florida for a few years in the 90's but never saw an Eastern Hooded Oriole. I won't digress into my great bird experiences in Florida today. I'll find another time for that.

My stepdad, who lives with me, recently purchased a remote video camera. He has been working diligently to get it setup near the bird feeders so I can share what goes on in my backyard at Birdwatchin.com. The project has been challenging but he's making progress. As soon as the camera is working outside near the Oriole feeder the next step will be to show the live feed online. He's determined so I hope he'll succeed.

My Oriole feeder is designed to hold half an orange above a little dish that offers jelly or mealworms . . . both Oriole favorites. Well, to be truthful, I never got around to adding mealworms because once I provided jelly the Orioles have fed consistently . . . all day long, everyday. I should get some mealworms to thank them for being so entertaining before they head South for the winter. By the way, if you want to feed Orioles jelly make sure it is grape jelly. Just buy an inexpensive brand . . . I pay between $1-2 for a 32-oz jar. I have to warn you, Orioles are eager eaters so be sure to keep jelly on hand. Also, be sure that the dish you provide the jelly in is shallow. I read about a lady who had to rescue and rehab a baby songbird when it fell into the jelly and got mired up to it's little head. Also, put your jelly feeder in the shade to keep it fresh. If your Orioles don't eat the jelly as fast as the ones I'm feeding be sure to replace it every few days. I refill my jelly dish about twice a week because the Orioles empty it completely that often. My jelly dish feeder holds about 1/4-1/2 cup.

Orioles are attracted to the color orange -- in the same way hummingbirds are attracted to red. You can provide an orange-colored Oriole feeder if you are feeding nectar. However, my Orioles fed at a hummingbird feeder even when I had a small Oriole feeder available. I just drilled a couple of larger holes in the plastic base of my feeders to accommodate their larger beaks. You can make your own Oriole nectar which is a little different sugar-to-water ratio than you feed Hummingbirds. However, I would put the Oriole nectar in an Oriole feeder . . . not a Hummingbird feeder because the ratio wouldn't be appropriate for Hummers.

With the jelly available, the Orioles in my yard have pretty much ignored the Hummingbird feeder until recently. In the past few days they have emptied nearly 2 cups of nectar. This fast consumption of nectar is so unusual that I'm wondering if it has something to do with our hot summer weather arriving. Maybe they are thirsty. Yikes, if that is true it makes me feel guilty. I've been looking for a water source -- such as a bird bath with moving water. I haven't found what I'm looking for yet. I'd better get a move on. I'll let you know what I come up with. Here's something funny about the Orioles drinking all the hummingbird nectar. The Black-chinned Hummer that called that particular feeder his own has now set up residence by perching on the feeder to protect it from the Orioles. Hummers are very aggressive about their feeding sources. I guess this little guy is going to do his best to make sure those big bully Orioles leave his food alone.

Orioles are migrating birds. Fall is just around the corner and our Western birds will head for southern destinations in Mexico. I'll really miss them when they leave. Since I'm in Southern California where we enjoy a moderate climate I wonder if my Orioles will leave. They are pretty attached to my feeders. But nature has programmed them to fly South so I expect them to migrate. If they go I'll just have to wait for their return. Birds remember where they find food so there is a good chance these same ones will come back in the Spring. I sure hope so. I'll be waiting and the feeders will be full.