THREE OF THE FIVE PITCH OF BALTIMORE ORIOLES THAT VISITED MY BACK YARD IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2023. MALE IS ON THE LEFT, TWO FEMALES ON THE RIGHT.

The Magic of Grape Jelly– A Baltimore Oriole Story


On September 8, 2022, I was sitting in my study working on the computer when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of brilliant color at my back yard feeder.  I grabbed my binoculars and was delighted to see a beautiful male Baltimore Oriole.  I quickly grabbed an orange and some grape jelly and set out a welcome buffet for this beautiful bird.  I had hoped that the Oriole would stick around for a few days, and maybe invite a few friends over for grape jelly.  Here are a couple of the photos that I took  on September 8, 2022.   

THE MALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE THAT VISITED MBY ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2022. THIS WAS THE FIRST ORIOLE TO VISIT MY FEEDER AND I WAS DELIGHTED TO WELCOME AND WATCH HIM!
AN ORANGE WITH GRAPE JELLY QUICKLY CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE ORIOLE. THE MAGIC OF GRAPE JELLY!

When I first spotted this Baltimore Oriole at my back yard feeder, I quickly looked the bird up on e-Bird and discovered that its visit was part of a yearly Fall migration.  I also discovered that this bird loves orange halves and grape jelly, and that putting these items would attract Baltimore Orioles year after year.  Although this bird only stuck around one afternoon, I made a mental note to begin setting out oranges in September of the next year (2023) in an attempt to attract this beautiful species of bird.  So, that is exactly what I did.  I had constructed a little addition to my feeder area that included two stumps with a perch log between them (harvested from the dry lake bed as GBRA drained out lake beginning in March of 2023), and I began placing three orange halves on the perch log a few days into September.  I was beginning to get discouraged after no Orioles showed up the first week that I put the Oranges out.  But, lo and behold, on September 21, 2023, five Baltimore Orioles showed up!  I was ecstatic and enjoyed the next five days watching as these birds devoured a bag of oranges and a large jar of Welch’s grape jelly.  A couple of days after I started putting the grape jelly on the oranges, local bees discovered this sweet treat, and soon began competing with the Orioles for domination of the grape jelly.  I did a little research and found that while bees are not a mainstay of the Orioles diet, they will eat them, and they certainly did!  Below you will find some of the photos I took with my Nikon D500 and my PF500 lens.  Will this beautiful species of bird show up next year?  Stay tuned, and we shall see!

ONE OF THE FIRST CLEAR LOOKS I GOT OF ONE OF THE MALE BALTIMORE ORIOLES. MAJESTIC!
TWO OF THE FEMALE BALTIMORE ORIOLES. THESE BIRDS WERE VERY CAUTIOUS, AND WOULD OFTEN PERCH ON THE WATER DRIP TO SURVEY THE FEEDER AREA BEFORE HEADING FOR THE GRAPE JELLY.
TWO MALE BALTIMORE ORIOLES AT THE DRIP. ONE OF THE MALES (THE LIGHTER COLORED ONE) DIDN'T STICK AROUND VERY LONG, LEAVING AFTER ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS LOADING UP ON GRAPE JELLY.
THIS MALE STUCK AROUND ALL FIVE DAYS AND I SAW HIM MULTIPLE TIMES EACH DAY.
THE MALES WERE CLEARLY DOMINANT WHEN IT CAME TO ACCESS TO THE GRAPE JELLY.
ONE OF SEVERAL FEMALES THAT WERE PART OF THE VISITING PITCH.
THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES AND THE BEES WERE FUN TO WATCH AND QUITE ENTERTAINING.
ANOTHER SHOT OF A FEMALE NEGOTIATING THE BEES AT THE GRAPE JELLY.
ONE OF THE MALES WITH THE OTHER MALE COMING IN FOR A LANDING BEHIND HIM. NOT TECHNICALLY PERFECT, BUT A COOL SHOT!
ONE OF THE FEMALES LETTING THE CARDINAL KNOW IT WAS NOT WELCOME ON TOP OF THE WATER DRIP.
MALE BALTIMORE ORIOLE PERCHED IN A PECAN TREE HIGH ABOVE THE FEEDER. INTERESTING LIGHT!
THE MALE BALTIMORE ORIOLES ARE MAJESTIC, SPORTING BOLD COLORS.
IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE TO APPROACH THIS GRAPE JELLY TOPPED ORANGE!
A HONEYBEE BECOMES PART OF LUNCH!

Epilogue…

The appearance of the Baltimore Orioles certainly added to the excitement of Fall migration in my back yard.  I am grateful to have the resources to host these beautiful birds as they compliment the usual suspects that have been showing up in my yard.  I can’t wait until next year!