Hummingbirds

[markjohn]

I'm wondering: Does anyone know of a site dedicated to hummingbirds and posting their arrivals? One was spotted this past Friday in El Paso!

Robin

[Guest]

Hi Robin,

I think this is the website you are looking for:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

[Veronica G]

I was looking for the same thing for orioles. I usually get some Baltimore orioles come through my yard but I never really paid attention to the dates...
I have hummingbirds year-round (buff-bellied hummers) so my feeder is always out.

[markjohn]

Thank you, Lyn! That's exactly what I had in mind!

Veronica, you are the lucky one to have hummers year-round! I'd love to see an oriole (I've got one of those feeders) but haven't sighted one yet...plenty of painted buntings, though .

Robin

[Linda Reynolds]

markjohn, There is a good chance you might spot a Baltimore oriole during migration, as I do not believe their nesting range includes your area. You also might see a Bullock's Oriole and it appears that Smithson Valley is on the border of their nesting range. However, the Orchard Oriole is listed as being a summer resident in most of Texas, and they too, are delightful birds.

All are lovely birds and it is always exciting to spot a new backyard visitor. We live in TN, and do NOT host, but have Baltimore oriole visitors during their spring migration. We do host Orchard orioles and although they are pretty elusive, there are a few tricks you can use to entice them to come into your yard.

Orioles love fruit, especially oranges. They also go nuts for a mixture of grape jelly and water placed in a bowl. Just put a couple of globbers (scientific term) of grape jelly into a bowl and thoroughly mix in some water to thin to a nectar-like solution. Offer that in a shallow bowl either on a feeding platform, plant stand, patio or other spot where you can enjoy them. The Orchard oriole also loves a late summer afternoon romp under the sprinkler. On hot summer afternoons, I perform what I call **puddling**. It not only benefits the gardens, but provides some enjoyment as the birds flock to the running water. I gently turn on a small sprinkler, each day placed in different areas of one of our gardens and operated it for a short time. It creates small puddles under some of the small shrubs and plants and the birds cannot resist the sprinkling or the puddles.

I am going to attach two old photos taken on April 27th, 2007. They show a Baltimore oriole and an orchard oriole enjoying a make shift feeder that I temporarily placed on our patio.

markjohn and Veronica, I hope you can spot some migrating orioles and better yet, attract an orchard oriole to your yard. Our migrants pass through TN at the middle to end of April, so perhaps you should be on the lookout a little earlier in TX.

Not Often Does Your Wardrobe Match Your Food


Put Your Right Foot In...........

[markjohn]

Hi, Linda -

Great advice and gorgeous photos! I've also heard that the Orchard Oriole may breed in this area, and while I've fed butterflies and bees orange slices during the winter, I haven't set them out for the orioles. I will definitely follow your lead, and sure hope I get your results.

Thank you!
Robin

[Guest]

I'm wondering: Does anyone know of a site dedicated to hummingbirds and posting their arrivals? One was spotted this past Friday in El Paso!

Robin

Robin, there is a dedicated website for Texas Hummingbirds.

Go here: http://listserv.uh.edu/archives/tx-hummer.html

When you join this list, you will get an e-mail whenever any of the members posts a message. Since you are in Texas, you might benefit from this. You can also ask questions. I asked a question recently and got a flurry of very good responses.

[markjohn]

Thank you, Fotoman - I look forward to browsing the site you provided. Even better since it's from Texans for Texans.

robin

[Guest]

There are Northern Orioles nesting in my neighbors maple trees and Orchard orioles on the opposite neighbor's property. They love grape jelly. Put it out next to your hummingbird feeders. Just wire a small plastic container onto your hummer feeder and spoon out a small amount of grape jelly (Concord seems to work best here). Once they discover it, the orioles will be there all the time during nesting.

[Scott D.- La]

I posted on the Hummingbird migration map on March 11 last year. I have one feeder up, should be getting close for an arrival here.