How to Attract Beautiful Orioles to Your Yard

The COVID-19 health crisis has brought out the nature lover in many of us.

We're hiking more, going to state parks, looking at lakes and streams and waterfalls, and maybe watching birds. We told you about some birds living in the artificial Christmas wreath still hanging on our front door. Others have made new feathered friends in their back yards, just by inviting them over with a tasty treat.

In fact, there's been a recipe making the rounds for what to serve in order to lure Baltimore orioles (the birds, not the baseball team) over to your house. One of my friends tried it, with impressive photographic results.

Baltimore orioles, perhaps the most colorful type of oriole, love oranges and many types of jelly--grape especially, because it's most like the natural fruits these birds prefer.

According to birdsandblooms.com, here's the best strategy for serving it up:

The best way to set out jelly is in a tray or dish about 1 inch deep and 3 to 4 inches wide. Wild bird feed supply stores offer different types of jelly feeders. A popular one is a small glass dish nestled between three prongs. It has an ant trap beneath it, so insects can’t steal away the sweetness. You can also hang it on a pole for extra protection.

Trainham, who lives in Orwell, New York, uses a less sophisticated set-up, with a combo of Concord grape jelly, oranges, peaches, mealworms and Craisins, and it works just fine: