How wonderful, Dax! They still haven't arrived here, but I have an oriole feeder up with suet for now and I'll change to jelly when they come.

Claire

Claire,

I just can't believe how things happen! You may recall a few years ago I put up 2 jelly feeders and within a 2 minutes I had 4 orioles at it... I didn't even know they were around my parts!!!

Today, an oriole swooped down to the jelly feeder and all at once I saw a red-headed woodpecker fly across the landscape and a hummingbird. "Three" firsts of the year. Incredible really!

Dax

Good news. That big low pressure should move a number of birds north this week.

tj

I saw the first Baltimore Orioles of the season today here in Plymouth, MA! and it's before the hummingbirds show up - usually the orioles come a little after the hummers.

The grackles had gobbled up most of the suet outside and the orioles were picking at the scraps. I raced out and put new suet in all of the cages and added some apricot preserves in a dish. This one came back but didn't seem too impressed with the new suet.

He did seem to be looking down at the preserves in the dish in the middle of the feeder.

When they start showing interest in the fruit I'll phase out the suet in those cages to discourage the grackles. I have another suet feeder up in another area.

I also have a jelly feeder like Dax's and I may put that out too, but I have to rearrange the feeders on the hooks first.

Claire

I'm "jelly" (jealous)........
haha

Question about the jelly.....I have tried to find a large jar of grape jelly that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it. I ended up buying a smaller jar of "all fruit"-type jelly without it.
anyone know who might sell a big jar of the stuff without corn syrup? Thanks.

P.S....Great pics everyone! Those guys are gorgeous!

Yes, those are beautiful pictures, Claire.

Welch's is the only one I know of where grapes are the 1st ingredient. I meant to look at Sam's Club on Friday and didn't, darnit.

Another first & just now 7:45 this morning: Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Dax

Saw brown thrasher a few days ago.

Dax

No grosbeaks here, I've only ever seen one, but the first Brown Thrasher appeared on April 20. I haven't seen it since, but they're usually around all season, just in the background.

Claire

I love it when the brown thrashers come back. To me, their song is so happy! I have to smile every time I hear them........which can be constantly, sometimes. :)

We had the best birding weekend so far. Lots of grosbeaks, hummers, and male and female orioles. Don't know why but we can't get the orioles to come to feeders. We had success one year w/jelly filled orange halves, but they refuse to come to the regular oriole feeders or the jelly feeders. I keep trying though. One bird we didn't see this year was woodcock. Every year, they raise a brood in our swampy creek bottom. We have resident red foxes now, so I wonder if that's the difference. Still, we have always been rich w/all other predators: coons, coyotes, mink, and even bobcats. It hasn't affected the wild turkeys though as we have a good nest w/eight eggs in it.