The thought had been it was due to the loss of nesting cavities in the form of dead trees. The reality is that the kestrel population has declined by 50 percent since 1970. The American Kestrel, our smallest falcon, is so common in certain areas that it can be hard to believe that it’s declining. These are things we could not have anticipated even two months ago. Even when we’re out of oranges, they’ll still come for the Smuckers. The biggest challenge now is keeping the jelly cup full for the orioles. There really wasn’t any downside to this feeder-squirrels didn’t seem interested for the most part, and pesky species like House Sparrows simply stayed away. And the oranges did attract some ants, though that didn’t seem to be a deterrent for the birds. The new feeder placement worked out beautifully. They’d poke at the oranges, too, when the jelly was empty. They went through two 12-ounce jars of jelly. It dipped its bill into the jelly before flying off hastily.ĭuring the next few weeks, the oriole (an adult male) and a likely immature male of pale orange hues made regular visits to the feeder. Finally, on one of these glances, an oriole was sitting on the circular metal portion of the feeder and seemed intrigued. Orioles were back for the season-we heard several in the treetops-so it was easy to imagine that one day we’d see one enjoying some fruity treats. We’d look out at the empty feeder hopefully. Nothing happened for the first week or so. We filled the little glass cup with Concord Grape jelly and impaled two halves of a navel orange. This year inspired a new idea, why not place the feeder somewhere more prominent? And this time, why not try the grape jelly? So the feeder went up on a maple in our parkway, near our other feeders. And nothing happened, other than attracting a parade of ants to the oranges. We bought an oriole feeder at Menard’s a couple years ago and placed it in a secluded spot near our patio sometime in the warmer months. Why can’t we have orioles in our yard, too? It was enough to instill some birding FOMO (fear of missing out), particularly when we’d hear the joyous orioles singing throughout our neighborhood. I’d see gorgeous social media photos of orioles on specially made feeders, enjoying orange slices and a taste of grape jelly. Until recently, actually luring an oriole to a feeder on our property had been an impossible task. “You mean like the baseball team?” Well, yeah, they’re a real species, except for the ill-fated years when they were renamed Northern Orioles, presumably by someone who hates the national pastime. The funny thing is some people sort of laugh when orioles come up in conversation. So much so that it was on my list of seven show-stopping Midwestern species last year. A Baltimore Oriole enjoys grape jelly in a Chicago yard.īaltimore Orioles are one of those species that inspire awe and excitement with nearly every sighting.
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