Three species of Orioles at Dancing Turtle Tank

[DesertSage]

With the return of Bullocks oriole, I have 3 species including Scotts, and Hooded at the homestead.

[TheLorax]

I don't have a Bullocks Oriole. Just the ordinary Baltimore Oriole. I am going to put out grape jelly for orioles this year. I have two little jelly feeders and I hope some will visit me.

[DesertSage]

The Orioles enjoy the Hummer feeders. But the bee's get the grape jelly, and orange halves.

[TheLorax]

I have seen other people's jelly feeders. Bees do like them. The Baltimore orioles supposedly only go to the jelly feeders even if we offer them orange slice feeders. I will have all three. I'll pay attention. I'm excited about this.

[biigblueyes]

Jelly feeders?

[TheLorax]

You have not heard of jelly feeders? I posted a photo of one of mine a few months ago. I broke the glass that held the jelly and wanted to find a replacement. Here is what jelly feeders look like-
Yahoo! Image Search Results for jelly feeder
Mine are very basic. I learned the glass feeders were votives. I was able to find replacements. I bought grape jelly on sale. I am ready.

[Teresa]

I've read/heard several places that we need to tie orange ribbons outside to attract them initially, have oranges available, and then offer as-natural-as-possible grape jelly.

Last year we saw a pair at our place a couple times, but we were unprepared.
This year we hope to entice them to stay a little longer. . .

[TheLorax]

I never heard of orange ribbons before. I'll do it. Our trees haven't begun to leaf out so orange ribbons would make a statement. Remember that song tie a yellow ribbon in the old oak tree if you still want me or however it was worded? Are we all going to be singing a new song. Tie an orange ribbon in the or-i-ole tree?

My biggest challenge now is finding grape jelly without the high frcutose corn syrup. Farmers markets where the home made jellies can be found haven't started up yet. What natural brand of jelly are you buying?

[NEWisc]

Some interesting notes from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Suet and Other Foods, Birding Basics, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Orange halves are particularly attractive to orioles during spring migration

Jelly

Orioles, catbirds, and sometimes Cape May Warblers can be enticed to visit feeders offering jelly. Make sure to only offer very small quantities at once, because jelly gets extremely sticky; small birds can become mired in it. Also, jelly has much higher sugar concentrations than any natural food. It’s probably not unhealthful for adult birds to supplement their diets during severe food shortages associated with unseasonable cold spells in spring, or in small quantities during the rest of the year.

Sometimes adult orioles and other birds visit jelly for a quick snack while searching out insect food for their young in summer; this won’t hurt them, but bring in the jelly if adults are bringing their young to it more than once a day. Growing fledglings need proteins far more than carbohydrates, and jelly is probably a very unhealthy meal for them.

So a few cautions should be observed.

Some how it always seems to come back to providing insects for birds is just about the best thing that anyone can do for birds!

[TheLorax]

bring in the jelly if adults are bringing their young to it more than once a day.

I did not know this. Thank you so much for mentioning it. It does make perfect sense.