I was just reading this thread and feeling very jealous of you all when my doorbell rang and after I answered it I walked through the kitchen and saw 2 orioles at my hummingbird feeder. I could not believe my eyes. I thought I took a picture but nothing showed up in the camera. I may have forgotten to push the button or something. This explains why my feeder has been drained for the past week. I only have a couple of hummingbirds but I didn't put your messages together with the thought that I might have something else feeding there. I found a good web site that tells about them. The pictures on the web don't do them justice. Their color is brilliant. Here is a link that might be useful: baltimore oriole information

Hi all, Just wanted to add that we had a catbird last summer who practically became our mascot. He was here every day, would let me walk right past him and didn't move, we made eye contact and he just watched me walk by. So funny! He spent his time on a fruit and jelly feeder I got, with a roof over it and a cup that drops in the floor of the feeder and a spike for fruit on either side, which I used for orange slices. It is a great feeder, well worth the money. I put an oriole feeder out last summer and only hummingbirds visited it. I only put nectar in it, no fruit, so thanks to reading all your posts I will know to put fruit on that this summer too.

Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. I'll get busy first thing tomorrow morning and put some grape jelly and nectar out along with the orange. I have three hummingbird feeders but have never seen an oriole at one. The house finches do try to feed there but have a hard time with the bee guards. Chris, if my resident chickadees do feed at the nectar I'm afraid I'll never see them. They're mighty quick already aren't they.

I think you probably should separate the strands into random lengths and thicknesses. Then again, she may want to do that herself. At least loosen them. As for color, she sought out the yellow binder twine. I have a lot of yellow plastic binder twine leftover from when my farm was hayed. I just cut it and shredded off some relatively small strands and placed it back where she had been working on it. I haven't seen her since, but now I'm seeing lots of males. I'll be putting out my jelly jars tonight. I'm experimenting w/orange marmalade (because we have a lot of it left over) and the traditional grape. I've not had any come to the halved oranges at all. I understand catbirds also come to jelly. We have a few in our fencerow and thicker woods but have never drawn them into our more open feeding area. Hopefully, we can lure them in as well as I love all their unique calls.