Because of their strikingly beautiful black and orange or yellow plumage, their distinctive whistle, spring songs, and their amazing suspended nest, Orioles are quickly becoming one of Americas's favorite birds.  While over eight species of Orioles can regularly be seen in the United States, we'll deal mainly in this article with three - Baltimore, Bullocks and Orchard.  All United States Orioles show variation on the theme of black with yellow or orange plumage.

Except for in the Southest, all Orioles are tropical migrants.  While migrations vary from year-to-year, Orioles generally arrive in the South in early spring, Midwest in early May, and further North soon afterward.  It is very important that you have Oriole feeders up and ready, or often they will pass you by for better feeding grounds.  It is equally important to have nesting materials out and ready to help encourage Orioles to nest in your yard.  Although studies are still being done on how much we can tempt Orioles to nest in backyards, by summer's end, migrating Orioles are headed back South to their tropical winter homes in Central and South America.  It does appear that the Baltimore Oriole's range is expanding, while Bullocks and Orchard Orioles are declining.  All Orioles need and benefit from your help.

Where nesting material is available, Orioles will defend an area of several acres and start building a pendulous nest.  You can help encourage them by offering long strips of twine or horse hair.  Or, better yet the commercial nesting material holder and mix that is now available at Bird Essentials.

Orioles make a pendulous nest with the females normally taking 5-8 days to do all the weaving.  The male defends their territory and occasionally checks out the construction of the nest, but offers little help or expertise.  The nest may be as much as 8 inches in length and is often supported from the tips of the branches that hang out over open areas such as rivers or roads.  The femaile will lay 4-5 pale gray to bluish eggs, while she alone will incubate until they hatch in 12-14 days.  Both parents feed the babies until they fledge in another 12-14 days.  By summer's end, all will have departed for a warm winter in South America.

As winter approaches, do you leave your screen windows on?  Of course not!  Likewise it is common sense that if we want our feathered friends to use(and benefit from) the nest boxes we have in our yards, we must winterize them.

First, clean out the season's nests that may have gotten damp, filthy, or infested with lice or blowflies.  Then layer 3"- 4" of clean dry meadow grass in the bottom of each house.  Wood shavings can work well too, but don't use sawdust as it retains moisture when wet.

Second, plug the air vent holes (and drainage holes) in your houses with flexible weatherstrip. Simply press the putty-like cord in with your fingers and it comes out easily in the spring. 

Who will use your house if properly winterized?  Downy woodpeckers seem to be one of my most common winter tenants, even though they seem to prefer to carve their own nest cavity.  You can tell they have visited when you find some of the feathers they shed.  Their feathers are ling with very flimsy shafts with gray barbs and a grayish white tip.  Chickadees and Titmice will sometimes leave droppings and a few of their feathers behind while bluebird leave a few regurgutated seeds.  It's not uncommon for 6 to 9 bluebirds to emerge from one box.  Nuthatches and Carolina Wrens are some other common visitors to winterized homes.

If you don't have nest boxes, you can provide shelter by building a brush pile.  Now is the time many of us prune trees.  Make use of the prunnings.  A brush pile near a feeder provides a safe haven and in newly established neighborhoods helps you attract birds that otherwise wouldn't come.

To start a brush pile, place four thick logs on branches 5 to 6 feet long in a square.  Take several longer limbs amd a tepee with the leafy ends toward the ground.  Now pile on smaller branches, again with leafy ends down.  This allows roosting birds access but helps keep out predators.  Make a pile thick on the side facing the prevailing winds.  A Christmas tree is a great addition or can serve as a roost all by itself.  Keep an eye on your brush pile.  I guarantee you will see some appreciative feathered friends!

WHAT MAKES ROOST BOXES DIFFER FROM NEST BOXES?

Roosting boxes differ from nest boxes in several important ways. A good roost box is designed to prevent the birds' body heat from escaping, so, unlike a nest box, it lacks ventilation holes. Also, its entrance hole is near the bottom of the box so the rising warmth doesn't escape.

Inside a roost box there are several perches made from small wooden dowels, staggered at different levels. In addition, the inside front and rear walls are roughened, scored, or covered with hardware cloth so that woodpeckers can cling to them. A hinged top allows easy access so you can clean the box.


An entrance hole about 2 inches in diameter will admit most small birds, but to exclude aggressive starlings reduce the opening to about 1 1/2 inches. Larger woodland birds, such as flickers and screech-owls, need a 3-inch entrance hole.

"Shelter a cardinal in winter and they will reward you all year long."

The arrival of fall means different things to different people. For some, the beautiful autumn colors make it a favorite season, while for others it's the mild temperatures, the World Series, or heading back to school. But for birders and their friends who like to watch butterflies, dragonflies, and other animals, the arrival of fall means only one thing: migrations. The best natural migration corridors occur in mountain ridges, river valleys, and along coastlines. Yet it's possible to see migrating animals just about anywhere. Here are some tips for enjoying the passing hordes.

Birds

Early morning often provides great looks at birds just finished with all-night flights. As the sun starts to rise, some birds that find themselves out over ocean waters or above the Great Lakes will suddenly head for the nearest land. Hundreds of birds can come pouring inland at these times, among them thrushes, warblers, vireos, and tanagers.

During daylight hours, the skies can be filled with everything from White Pelicans to Bobolinks. Expect lots of shorebirds, cormorants, terns, and gulls at the seaside and hawks, swifts, flickers, jays, swallows, and robins overhead almost everywhere.

Butterflies

Most people have heard about Monarchs and their fall migrations to the mountains of southern Mexico, but lots of other butterflies travel in autumn. Some even head north!

Watch in the same places that bird migrants concentrate for American Ladies, Question Marks, Red Admirals, and the more abundant Monarchs — all moving southward. By contrast, Cloudless Sulphurs may be headed north in fall, as their southern populations expand, and Painted Ladies and Common Buckeyes can be watched for flying north or south.

While your choice of feeders will depend largely on who and what you are feeding, here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Durability: A well built feeder, made of quality materials will look better longer.
• Easy To Clean: The health of the birds and life of your feeder will be improved if you maintain your feeders regularly.
• Dry Seeds: Wet or damp seeds will spoil. Look for drainage holes in the floor or tray and a roof that overhangs the feeding area. A squirrel dome will help protect a tube or other style feeder.
• Capacity: The bigger the better, right? We have found the small and medium size feeders are easier to clean and help to ensure fresh seed. Two medium feeders with different seed will attract a wider variety of birds.

 If you are looking for a general all purpose feeder, we recommend a house or hopper type feeder, or a tube feeder with a large tray attached, filled with Black oil sunflower seed or a seed mix.
The most effective way to attract a wide assortment of birds is to offer a variety of foods in different feeders. A collection of feeders for your yard might include:

• A house or hopper type feeder for sunflower seeds 
• A tube style Thistle feeder
•  A suet feeder
• A wire mesh peanut feeder
• A nectar feeder
• A fruit or jelly feeder 
• A platform or tray feeder for millet

When deciding where to place your feeders, start inside your house. Where do you want to view the birds from? The patio doors, a kitchen or dining room window, your office? Maybe there’s a place in your yard that can be viewed from a couple of windows in your house. Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for the right place.

• Birds prefer to feed in an open sunny area

• Is there a bush or tree nearby for shelter

• Is there easy year-round access (think about it!! -20 degrees and two feet of new snow) An empty bird feeder will not attract birds

• The “mess”, Yes there will be seed shells, bird droppings and the occasional sunflower sprout. Pick a spot where it won’t matter or is easily cleaned up.

The best place for a bird feeder is out in the open, at least ten feet from any tree branch, deck or any other squirrel launching object. At ground level, use the same ten foot circle and look for any ambush places that a cat might use.

A pole mounted feeder (mounted directly to the pole or hung from a hook) with a squirrel baffle attached to the pole, placed in such an area will provide you with years of pleasure.

After considering your options, if the maple tree outside your kitchen window is still screaming “hang it here!” than by all means hang a feeder from it’s limbs. The activity it brings will brighten your view.

BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEED - Hands down the most preferred seed, known to be eaten by over 40 different species and highly nutritious. It should be your primary food, making up at least 75% of the seed you feed.

PROSO MILLET - Just as popular as sunflower seed and less expensive. But it comes with controversy, Problem birds like the House Sparrow and the Gray headed Cowbird are highly attracted to it. If you want to help the songbird population stick with sunflower or safflower seed.

SAFFLOWER SEED - An excellent choice for Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Finches. The best part about it is that House Sparrows, Grackles, and Starlings don’t seem to like it. In the summer, due to an over-population of Grackles and Starlings, we fill our cedar feeder with safflower seed and have no shortage of visitors.

NIGER THISTLE - If you want to attract Goldfinches to your yard, hang a thistle feeder. Also eaten by House and Purple Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, and Redpolls. A 50/50 mix of thistle and sunflower chips makes an excellent finch mix and helps to lesson the cost.

PEANUTS - A favorite of Woodpeckers, offered in a wire mesh peanut feeder they will also attract Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and Chickadees. A combination of 80% black oil sunflower seed, 10% safflower seed, and 10% peanut pieces makes a great seed mix for house type feeders.

CRACKED CORN - Although eaten by many birds, it has the same reputation as millet attractive to House Sparrows and Cowbirds). A mix of millet and cracked cord can be spread on the ground or fed on a tray feeder in the fall and winter to attract ground feeders.

While there are many other types of seeds and grains that are eaten by birds, most of it will be pushed aside or thrown out of the feeder as the birds search for their preferred seeds.

Offer a variety of foods in separate feeders and you’ll have a wider mix of birds with less waste.

Backyard bird feeding is an easy way to enjoy Mother Nature. By inviting the wild birds into our yard we are able to enjoy the ebb and flow of the seasons.

You’ll chuckle at the antics of a male bird as he tries to entice a mate in spring. The whole family will gather at the window when the proud parents bring their young to the bird feeder for the first time.

It’s amazing how watching a couple of birds frolic in the bird bath can make a hot summer day seem a little cooler, or how a few Chickadees flirting from branch to branch can make the back yard seem a little warmer on a cold January day. So go ahead and hang that one little feeder and before you know it you’ll be like the rest of us, with four or five bird feeders outside your windows, a field book and pair of binoculars within easy reach on the inside

For those bird-lovers seeking methods of accurately identifying birds and their natural habitats, the World Wide Web is an excellent resource. Many web sites feature valuable information and photographs provided by birding guides and various ecological organizations like the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association and the Peregrine Fund. These organizations, which are dedicated to the study and preservation of birds throughout the world, are useful resources for avid bird-watchers seeking data on such topics as the best locations for pursuing their hobby.

Bird-watchers can also employ these web sites for information on the best birding equipment and bird food recipes, as well as to participate in online discussion forums. Internet users can sometimes even find "live bird cams" and interesting trivia and surveys on bird watching. Regardless of whether you are a novice or an expert in the area of bird watching, the World Wide Web is a good place to go to find information on observing these diverse and fascinating creatures.

I created BirdEssentials.com to share my enthusiasm in this pleasing and entertaining hobby.

What sparked your interest in bird watching? • Did you see a beautiful bird? • Or perhaps you encountered an unfamiliar one. • Maybe a good friend took you on a bird walk and you discovered a really pleasant experience. • Maybe you are living with parrots, like we are, and the experience has made you more aware and concerned about our native birds.

Backyard bird feeding is a convenient way to enjoy wildlife. More than 65 million Americans of all ages watch, feed and landscape for birds. It doesn't matter where you live - in an apartment, townhouse or single family dwelling, in the city, suburbs or country. Just stand still and you'll hear them: wild birds. It is hard to imagine life without them.

Bird watching is one of the fastest growing forms of outdoor recreation in the country. Each year millions of people discover for the first time the joys of bird watching. It's easy to understand why: birds are fun to watch! One of the best things about bird watching is that it can be enjoyed just about anywhere . . . but the best place to start is right in your own backyard. All it takes to get their attention is food, water, a place to build a nest and appropriate vegetation. I would like to return to this publication periodically to share methods of attracting birds to your back yard. I suggest you might start by getting a simple feeder from BirdEssentials.com and some food and adding some shelter and water. I look forward to giving you some tips on landscaping and gardening to attract, feed and help house them, educating you about the types of feeders and houses you will need the attract the exact birds you want.