Baltimore Orioles-Photos (1 Viewer)

[OK_Scissortail]

I feel so blessed to have these visiting my bird garden. I first attracted them with Oranges..one by one they started coming in. Finally a very deep colored male arrived and has been here all morning. There is only a tad bit of Orange left so I guess he decided to check out the hummingbird feeders..he has been to both feeders. He also has been hopping around under the gazebo where I feed the birds. The oranges are on top but I'm thinking of moving them to under the top of the gazebo for better protection. Thought you might like to see this beautiful bird. While posting, the female and male were together but I don't have those pics that I just took downloaded yet.

Hope you enjoy, they have been here for 3 days straight ..all day long.

 

[Dave B Smith]

Beautiful birds!

 

[lmans66]

Really, oranges....I never would of thought of that as food but why not? I like it when they have that rich color to them and find it challenging to capture both the bright color of the orange (in your case) with that of the contrasting black...
I am working on magpies now, yellow headed blackbirds etc.... Quite the challenge. Any ideas?

 

[Gretchen]

Nice pictures.

I've heard of oranges, but the little while I tried it, I failed to attract orioles (or anything else). Do some other birds enjoy them too? I guess omnivores like magpies could.

 

[OK_Scissortail]

Jim, I took these photos through my window so not that good. I have had cloudy days so now have to re-adjust camera for sunny days. I haven't had a chance at yellow headed backbirds and doubt I will in my area. Be pretty cool to see.

Gretchen, a small spoon of grape jelly helps to attract them in at first as well. I had both out and they went to the jelly first then the Oranges. All the birds are avoiding the apples so I quit with the apples. The same day the Baltimore's arrived I had a male Orchard Oriole arrive too. He didn't stay long, checked out the Baltimore on what it was eating and then left, haven't seen it since but I did get one photo of it, thank heavens. I'm still watching for it to appear again.

As for the Orange I had one white crowned sparrow take a bit out of it but never again so guess it prefers the feeder seed.

 

[lmans66]

So placing the jelly (any type?) in a cup or so will attract them eh? Do you have to freshen it from time to time and how often? I wonder ...we were just talking about this today, how birds find stashes of food etc. Just luck of the draw I suppose.... j

 

[OK_Scissortail]

HI, my Mother gave me the idea of grape jelly..just a small spoonful. I laid mine out on an old plate I would put feed on now and then up high on gazebo. My Mother just put hers on her deck about waist high. Within minutes she had an Oriole. I put mine out and it was probably an hour or so I had one show up pit of the blue. I had the oranges out so it found the them and then more started appearing. I didn't even think I had the Orioles around.

I put the jelly out and once gone I freshened it again but it seems like they prefer the oranges more. My Mother keeps a jelly out and has them eating away at it but don't care as much for her oranges..go figure. We're in different states..she is in Missouri and of course I am in Oklahoma..seems weird the orioles would go more aggressively for different foods in other areas. Not one bird touched the apple I had out.

Oh I might add that I put the oranges on a round shaped board piece with small nails sticking up to attack the backside of the orange on. Not sure how my Mother has them out. I also put Orange slices in a suet feeder so far no interest in that. For the board slice the orange so that the inside of orange is open on both sides for them to easily get at. It is 6.30 am here and I just looked outside to hear and see the male Baltimore out there feeding away. Just barely light outside. I need my head examined as to why I am up at crack of dawn except the fact that it is very hot and humid, couldn't sleep. Last week a cold front came in with flooding rains, today we are suffocating with high humidity from all the moisture and heat. Was really hoping to hold off with the A/C until later in the month.Oh the Baltimore just now found the Oranges in the hanging suet feeder.

 

[lmans66]

Do either of these methods attract wasps and hornets? That is what I worry about, paper wasps...?

I like the idea though, a new bird species to hit the deck!

 

[OK_Scissortail]

I haven't seen any wasp on the fruit yet..figure the birds might get them? Doesn't mean the wasp won't but so far I just have the usual wasp that like to build their nest under the deck as they do every year.

Hornets only appear here actively during a certain time of the Summer be it beginning or later on when super hot, not sure which one though. Glad they don't show themselves all Summer because it is quite a shock and scare to see one right in front of your face..hate those things worst the red wasp, which we have plenty of in the Summer. Bad thing about having a pool, it attracts all the flying insects..good and bad. The bats like the pool though, they will fly back and forth over it eating night bugs flying around. By morning the Phoebe is catching bugs on top of the water and getting drinks.

 

[lmans66]

D..I put some grape jelly out, ....the trap has been laid, now I will see what comes of it!...

No pool here, just paper wasps. I placed it on the ground near the feeders and will have to figure out how to place it higher, on the fence. But for now, the trap is there!

 

[OK_Scissortail]

Sounds good ..might want to have an orange with it. If you don't have anything high up another idea.. I put some of the oranges in a suet feeder and the orioles are now going to it as well.

Hope it all works. The orange color is supposed to attract them too so if you have anything orange colored that you can put by the jelly and oranges may help.

 

[MLoyko]

My home is in the range of baltimore orioles I believe, what are the chances of me attracting them to my SE Pennsylvania home. It is a suburban area but there is a lot of fields, and woods. Also a river and a few creeks nearby.

 

[lmans66]

Nothing yet.......only grade jelly though, no oranges yet...Sat at 8 am or so..

 

[OK_Scissortail]

Matt, if you are in range you should be able to get them in town. My Mother lives in a town with neighbors right beside her all around and she has the Orioles.

Jim, put the oranges out too, may help.

Hoping to hear good results from you both soon.

 

[MLoyko]

Thanks OK,

Now just gotta sneak an orange outside without the parents finding out, haha

 

[lmans66]

Well....it didn't work...the grape jelly. I had it on a plastic can lid and with the wind we had these past few days, the lid is probably in another county. I will try oranges again, once the weather cooperates. This is the oddest winter spring yet....a hard winter at first followed by months and months of 30 degree weather and even now in May we are lucky to get above 60 and have sun. Not a good year at all!

 

[lmans66]

Well....it didn't work...the grape jelly. I had it on a plastic can lid and with the wind we had these past few days, the lid is probably in another county. I will try oranges again, once the weather cooperates. This is the oddest winter spring yet....a hard winter at first followed by months and months of 30 degree weather and even now in May we are lucky to get above 60 and have sun. Not a good year at all!

 

[OK_Scissortail]

Probably won't take long with Oranges..I have the Orioles and tonight a Rose Breasted Grosbeak went up to the Orange slices and took a few bites. Earlier today a Red Headed Woodpecker also enjoyed the Orange with me sitting on a few feet from it with camera..yeah finally got a close up of the rascal..lol.

 

[ana maria]

Probably won't take long with Oranges..I have the Orioles and tonight a Rose Breasted Grosbeak went up to the Orange slices and took a few bites. Earlier today a Red Headed Woodpecker also enjoyed the Orange with me sitting on a few feet from it with camera..yeah finally got a close up of the rascal..lol.

Hi, I am missing them here in San Salvador, they come every day near my window, from October to March.

Ana Maria.

 

[OK_Scissortail]

Nice photos Ana! So neat to hear they come to your window daily when there. Hope these stay throughout the Summer..first time for me to actually get them to stay this long. They usually just show themselves once and fly on never to be seen here again. Very beautiful birds!