BALTIMORE ORIOLES--
The Avian Variety

For several weeks now I've enjoyed visits from a Baltimore Oriole; a bird uncommon to my feeders.  I knew they liked fruit for their munchies so I've been amazed to watch them grub around on the ground for fallen seeds with common ground feeding birds like sparrows, doves, cardinals and a turkey or two.

Click here for some very nice sample photos of this colorful bird.

After several sightings I decided to fashion a feeder for them I hoped they would find attractive:

 

This is simply a pine board with two long, drywall screws run through from the opposite sides to hold the orange slices with some branch segments attached for the birds to grasp while dining.

 

For the sake of variety I also bought a commercially available product (Perky Pet Bird Feeders) that I found at my local Elzy, home and farm store:

 

 

These birds also are known to enjoy grape jelly.  That's an inverted jar of it in the suspended, orange feeder.  The jelly oozes into the tray thus insuring a constant supply.  The clear dome is a cleaned-up relic from a previous feeder.

 

Today, my visiting friend showed its first evidence of curiosity about my sliced orange offerings.  It flitted about, landing ever closer to that feeder but didn't quite muster the courage to stop for a bite.  I suspect it will take a few days for the bird to get used to this strange concoction. 

 

I will be quite proud if my home-made feeder attracts an oriole before the store-bought one.   

 

Stay tuned!