Bird Watching: Daily Piccies Vol. 462, 1 by brendak654

brendak654 wrote:
I may have to plant more tulip poplar. irisMA - When you say they like your tulip poplar - is it the blooms they like or the insects?

Do any of you offer string for the orioles? They will riddle rope or or other stringlike objects out in about in our yard for nesting material. I find them very interesting and fun and vocal and beautiful. I have tried offering them oranges and all I had was ants and a woodpecker and later a dried up orange. I can especially do without all the ants. Anyhow, my suggestion is that if you should offered the orioles string (12 inches or shorter - shorter so they will not hang themselves), for nesting material. Ours are still taking string. I think this year we have several yearling orioles and they are not master architects yet - so they are going through a lot of string. I put the string in a basket on the front porch and off and on during the day the come and take beaks full of string. One year they had been in the garage helping them selves to fishing twine and when I walked out into the garage it was like a cobweb of fishing twine and I could not imagine what was going on until I followed the trail of fishing twine to the tree. hummmm - always entertaining!

Look closely at the picture - this oriole has a beak full of string/thread. I like to use a #30 tatting thread or crochet thread. The # 30 is a little large than sewing thread and it is thread I have on hand, but the they also like regular sewing thread. Sometimes I opt to use orange or red thread so I can spot their nest a little easier.

These two photos were from a prior year - they are toooo fast grabbing string for me to get their pictures this year.

If you haven\'t done this (offering the 12 inch or shorter string/thread), I hope someone gives it a try - if they have orioles. One an other thought - I put the string/thread I offer, in a basket on the front porch so I can catch a glimpse of them AND so the string will not get wet and mat together.