I think it’s safe to say that spring is finally here! Last weekend I took down the fence around the bird garden, cleaned up my birdfeeders and I decided it was time to put out my oriole and hummingbird feeders. I’m a member of several bird watching groups on Facebook and people have been reporting seeing Baltimore Orioles for several weeks in southern Michigan. There have been a few hummingbird sightings but I’ve seen a lot more posts from people in Indiana so with this warm weather we’re experiencing, they’ll be here by the end of the week.
I’ve had several people tell me that they didn’t realize that orioles would drink out of hummingbird feeders. My mom bought me this feeder as a birthday gift several years ago and it’s made specifically for orioles. The holes are bigger for their beaks and the perch is more substantial to handle their weight. This feeder is super easy to clean, which is a huge plus for me!
I have a wasp problem when it comes to my hummingbird feeders so I did a little research and found a lot of positive remarks for the HummZinger hummingbird feeder. It has a built in any moat and the wasps can’t get in to feed. The price was pretty reasonable so I thought I’d try it.
This is a friendly reminder to please make your own hummingbird nectar and to not buy the store bought stuff. It’s full of preservatives and the red dye is harmful to our little friends. I use this recipe in both, my hummingbird and oriole, feeders. It’s super simple, 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Boil the water and stir in the sugar until it’s dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
