What do feed and how do you feed your Orioles..?? (1 Viewer)

[SanAngelo]

What do you feed and how do you feed your Orioles..??

My Bullock's Orioles got back this past Sunday, the 17th. It's been an odd spring. The Orioles were late returning as was the Blacked-chinned Hummingbirds, they got here on the 27th of March. Didn't have a Ruby-throated fly through till the 14th of April.

On the morning of the 18th I switched out my backyard feeder with the modified hummingbird feed. The Orioles came to the feeder within the hour, first the female then the male.

This is the second year I've been feeding them. All they get is regular sugar water, they have to share the feeder with the hummingbirds.

My feeder is a modified Best-1 Hummingbird Feeder. There's eight feed holes in the top plate. I drill out the opening in four of the holes to 15/32. No special reason, that's the biggest bit I had. I do the re-sizing in steps so not to crack the top plate; 3/16th 1st, 5/16th 2nd, and 15/32nd last.

Simple but it works....so, what do you feed and how do you feed your Orioles..??

I'm planning on making a simple hanging glass jar meal worm feeder.....anyone out there tried anything like that?

 

[KC Foggin]

I use an Oriole Feeder/Hummer Feeder but only fill the top with Welch's grape jelly. They won't eat the store's brand only Welch's

 

[SanAngelo]

Good to know.....thanks...!!

 

[DownyWP]

You are both so lucky to have orioles coming to your feeders. I get Bullock's Orioles during migration, but despite putting up expensive oranges with welch's grape jelly, all I manage to attract are yellow jackets...:-C

 

[SanAngelo]

I use an Oriole Feeder/Hummer Feeder but only fill the top with Welch's grape jelly. They won't eat the store's brand only Welch's

I've had the Welch's grape jelly feeder out for 5 days.

The male Bullock's doesn't care for it, he explores the tray maybe once a day but that's it.

The female appears to like the taste but not the consistency. She sticks her beak in the jelly, once each visit, and then she spends a lot time rubbing it on the feeder trying to get the sticky stuff off. She does visit the feeder multiple times a day, which is nice.

I've had my meal worm glass contraption out for two days. It's hanging between the sugar water feeder and the jelly feeder. Both the male and the female have ignored it.

 

[SanAngelo]

The jelly feeder is no more, both the male and female rejected the food after a couple days of curiosity. I don't know what turned them off, I used only high-end quality feed; Welch's Grape Jelly.

If anyone has an opinion or can suggest a feed or feeder I would be interest in hearing about it. I've tried the sliced orange with no luck.

On a side note.....I completely missed the fact that my Bullock's Oriole is a hybrid Bullock's-Baltimore Oriole. The eye stripe should be a solid black not bleeding down his cheek. The wing bar should be all white not broken by the black bar. The bright yellow scapulars is an addition of color.

 

[GaryOwl]

I just learned of the grape jelly tactic this year. A local friend mentioned she had oriole success using the cheap jelly. I've put some out in a plastic bowl on a box feeder after seeing an oriole randomly stop by twice earlier this spring. I'm not out there all the time to watch, but I haven't seen him return. I often have the windows open and haven't heard any unusual calls.

Does anyone know if the jelly actually attracts the orioles or is it just something they usually like and encourages them to return once they happen to find it?

 

[SanAngelo]

Does anyone know if the jelly actually attracts the orioles.....

If it is, it's not working for me.

....or is it just something they usually like and encourages them to return once they happen to find it?

I'm sure that's the case.

This was my first attempt with jelly. I had a flurry of activity when they first returned, now nothing. I'll put it out again after their fledging period.

For my area and based upon last year's experience this is normal. I don't expect to see the male again till next year, although there have been sightings of other males in the neighbor hood. In the state park I'm running across a number of single males, only once (yesterday) since early spring have I seen a male and female together.

I do however suspect to see the female later in July and August. She tends to come around a lot before she heads south in September. Right now, if all went well, she's busy finding and feeding insects to her brood.

Running the numbers.....the pair got back around the 17th of April. A few days scouting out a nesting sight. Two weeks to weave a good nest. Another two weeks sitting on the clutch, with 2 more weeks till the fledging. Then about 30 days teaching her brood how to fend for themselves. A day or so to ditch 'em.....presto....it comes up to around the 18th of June...!!

If the female's GPS is working maybe I'll see her next week....that would be a good thing......or maybe she moved on.

So, based upon the number of replies to this thread, there doesn't seem to be anything special that will reliably attract orioles......unless of course you have a Mulberry tree...!!

Good Luck my friend....and if you're inclined, come back and tell us how your orioles made out this summer.