A wonderful surprise.

[Sassy]

I have not been to the nest in a few days, the weather has been lousy but today was a beautiful day, sunny, temps in the high 70’s so I took a peak and you could have knocked me over with a feather, there are 5 eggs in there. Here I thought she was spending so much time in there she had to be incubating those first 3 eggs I saw earlier.
I also had a Orchard Oriole show up on the Hummingbird feeder I put out today. Never saw one of them here before. To top it off 3 male Hummingbirds appeared too. I am one happy camper.
Connie (PA)

[phillyblues]

I have jelly feeders out hoping to attract orioles. Never seems to work even though they do pass over my yard every spring.

[Carol – Mid-Mo.]

Connie, congrats on your 5 eggs – I believe my nest has 5 new babies but been raining so I will check the nest later on today. Yes, I have had those Orchard Orioles at my hummingbird feeder, also, as well at the Baltimore Orioles. Right now I have 1 or 2 hummers at my feeder and will be putting another feeder up very soon.

[Sassy]

Hi Phillyblues:
I never thought I would have any Orioles either, but I kept seeing them year after year. Finally I purchased an Oriole feeder and by gosh they actually came to feed. I never did the jelly because of the ant factor, and I do keep a water moat that my husband makes hung above it all the time, so no ant issues with it. I tried an orange one year, that did nothing. LOL
Connie

[Sassy]

Hi Carol:
Thanks, I am happy for you too. Now I have to sit down and try to figure out when the hatch should take place.
I did put two Hummingbird feeders out, but a limited amount of food in each. I am happy to see them back again, along with the Oriole. The Orchard one is the only one I have seen so far, no Baltimore’s yet.
Connie

[blue diamonds]

Hi Connie…….How exciting 5 eggs early in the season. The weather here has been awful too, so much rain people are having problems with flooding. Suns out today, maybe it will warm up and dry up!

We had the Baltimore Orioles, hummingbirds and grosbeaks all show up yesterday. I think the storm the night before blew them in. Phillyblues……here is a tip for attracting the Orioles. If you can put something large and orange in your yard near the feeder, such as plastic Adirondack chair or maybe an orange beachball. This has worked for some friends. Also grape jelly is their favorite with nectar (hummingbird feeder with out bee guards)…..orange halves is the least favorite here.

Judy-Michigan

[David in Stafford,VA]

Connie, Carol and all.
Congratulations on the new eggs. The weather seems to be settling down a bit to let the rest of nature begin again. I just looked in my nestbox a few minutes ago and found 1 of the 4 eggs had hatched. Mama bird is still sitting on the other 3. i might check later today to see if the others have hatched. i was actually expecting the hatch to be tomorrow. Again,nobody follows the rule book!

David
Stafford, VA

[phillyblues]

Thanks for the oriole tips…my wife thinks I’m nuts. I have two pretty cool perky pet full jar screw on jelly feeders, a nector feeder and a bunch of twine in the middle of my yard. I have fake orange flowers hung on the hook too. I’m determined!!! The tree swallows stopped bybthe boxes again today briefly. Hope they come back.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by phillyblues.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by phillyblues.

[Sassy]

Thanks Judy. I figured the last egg was laid on May 1, so the-hatch should be around the 14th or 15th, but like David said there is no rule book. I will keep an eye on things. Hope things get started for you soon.
Connie

[Sassy]

Thanks David.
Connie

[Dana]

Connie and Carol congrats on the eggs/babies!

[Sassy]

Thanks Dana. How are things going at your house.
Connie

[Dana]

Hi Connie,
The bluebirds have been hanging around since I have been feeding them mealworms non-stop. I believe they chose to nest elsewhere for their 1st brood this time around. They come for mealworms and will fill their beaks full of mealworms and fly off. They obviously are feeding their babies from their 1st brood wherever they may be. With the weather here being so cold and rainy they come every day, all day to feed themselves and take some to their babies. I’m hoping once the babies fledge they’ll come on over to join their mama and papa and have a mealworm feast. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that if not this pair then maybe another pair of bluebirds will want to use my nestbox for at least a 2nd brood. This has been the coldest Spring ever and I worry it will effect the 1st broods of “blues” this year here in PA and the Northeast. We really need to be vigilant with feeding mealworms to help the parent birds feed their young when insects are hard to come by.

[Countrygirl]

Congratulations! We too here in Ontario have Orioles eating oranges and grape jelly like crazy!

[Sassy]

Hi Dana:
Four of my five eggs hatched this past Tuesday, so today I am going to try to retrieve the unhatched one and dispose of it.
I don’t understand this pair of BB’s, I have placed a bowl of mealworms in several different areas and they ignore them completely. I am going try to move it in front of the box and if that doesn’t work I am giving up. Both parents are working like crazy to keep the little ones fed. There definitely are not a lot of BB’s this year, so the weather or something has disrupted them.
I just had a flock of Cedar Waxwings land in my dogwood tree and eat part of the flowers then they went on their way.
I have several pairs of Orioles that come to feed, but my second BB house is empty.
I do hope you get some blues to nest in your box this year. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Connie

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