ATTRACTING BEAUTIFUL ORIOLES

Where nesting material is available, Orioles will defend an area of several acres and start building a pendulous nest.
You can help encourage them and other wild birds by offering long strips of twine or horse hair, bird seed, bird feeders and birdhouses.

A commercially available Oriole nesting material holder or bird feeder and nest material mix is not being tested and will shortly be available.

Orioles make a pendulous nest with the females normally taking 5-8 days to do all the weaving. The male defends their territory and occasionally checks out the construction of the nest, but offers little help of expertise. The nest may be as much as 8 inches in length and is often supported from the tips of branches that hang out over open areas such as rivers or roads.
The female will lay 4-5 pale gray to bluish eggs, which she alone will incubate until they hatch in 12-14 days.
Both parents feed the babies until they fledge in another 12-14 days.
By summers end, all will have departed for a warm winter vacation in South America.

Some Oriole "favs" to keep in mind when setting up camp for this colorful little beauties are: Nectar, Jelly, Fruit or a Combination of all of them.

You can purchase "Sugar Water" feeders, Jelly Bird Feeders or Fruit and Jelly feeders and bird baths.

With these cool tips, you just can't lose keeping a place for these feathered friends and their offspring around until they make their journey south.
What a great educational and lots of fun for the whole family.........and the Orioles family too.

Here are some interesting facts and ideas to think about, when planning to set out bird food in your yard, near your bird bath and to fill your bird feeders to feed and attract orioles.

Here are some things to keep in mind about Orioles.

ORIOLES migrate at night so they are tired, cold and hungry when they arrive in your neck of the woods.
If you wait until you see'em, you are "too late" to attract Orioles, in maximum numbers, to your yard.
Not so much wild bird seed but bird food like ORANGES are one of the "keys" to attracting Orioles. Cut oranges in half and provide them "juicy side out" for a refreshing snack for these beautiful birds.

You can also attract these wild birds up close by offering oriole feeder nectar, jelly and fruit on the feeders by the house and patio.
They love the bright orange feeders and they are inexpensive and slip right on any Smuckers (tm) or other 10-12 ounce jelly jars.
Many people feed jelly year-around, not only Orioles, but Woodpeckers, Robins, Warblers and others enjoy it.

Many people tell have said that they keep Orioles longer now that they feed grape jelly!!!!
Our favorite Oriole nectar feeders are Orioles Feeders. Why? Their wide mouths and flat tops, make 'em easy to fill and clean (base also comes apart easily to clean), and some have bee guards to make sure that Orioles - not bees - enjoy the nectar.

If you're worried about ants bothering your jelly or Oriole nectar, simply hang oriole feeders with clear nectar protector ant moats above them and fill with water.
This acts like a moat around a castle.
In case you already didn't know, ants can't swim, and for a few extra bucks you'll never have to mess with cleaning hem out of the feeder. These also work well with hummingbird feeders.

While it is often advised that it is good to mix their own humming bird nectar from sugar, some opinion is that commercial Oriole nectar will attract and hold more Orioles and other wildbirds at the feeder longer.

THE king of the north once said to himself, "I am master of the country of ice and snow, but what is that if I cannot be ruler of the land of sunshine and flowers? I am no king if I fear the king of the south. The north wind shall bear my icy breath. Bird and beast shall quiver and tremble with cold. I myself will call in the voice of the thunder, and this ruler of the south, this king of summer, shall yield to my power."

The land of the south was ever bright and sunny, but all at once the sky grew dark, and the sun hid himself in fear. Black storm-clouds came from the north. An icy wind blew over the mountains. It wrestled with the trees of the south land, and even the oaks could not stand against its power. Their roots were tough and strong, but they had to yield, and the fallen trees lay on the earth and wailed in sorrow as the cruel storm-wind and rain beat upon them. The thunder growled in the hollows of the mountains, and in the fearful gloom came the white fire of the forked lightning, flaring through the clouds.

"We shall perish," cried the animals of the sunny south. "The arrows of the lightning are aimed at us. O dear ruler of the south land, must we yield to the cruel master of the north?"

"My king," said a little buzzing -voice, "may I go out and fight the wicked master of the storm-wind?"

The thunder was still for a moment, and a mocking laugh was heard from among the clouds, for it was a little hornet that had asked to go out and meet the power of the ruler of the north.

"Dear king, may I go?" repeated the hornet.

"Yes, you may go," said the king of the south, and the little insect went out alone, and bravely stung the master of the storm-wind.

The king of the north struck at him with a war-club, but the hornet only flew above his head and stung him again. The hornet was too small to be struck by the arrows of the lightning. He stung again and again, and at last the king of the north went back to his own country, and drove before him the thunder and lightning and rain and the black storm-clouds and the icy wind.

"Brave little hornet," said the king of the south, "tell me what I can do for you. You shall have whatever you ask."

Then said the little hornet, "My king, on all the earth no one loves me. I do not wish to harm people, but they fear my sting, and they will not let me live beside their homes. Will you make men love me?"

"Little hornet," said the king gently, "you shall no longer be a stinging insect feared by men. You shall be a bright and happy oriole, and when men see you, they will say, 'See the beautiful oriole. I shall be glad if he will build his nest on our trees.'"

So the hornet is now an oriole, a bird that is loved by every one. His nest looks like that of a hornet because he learned how to build his home before he became an oriole.