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Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_pcteaq6rSSntVpoehCcIqQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT Hi Derek, My advice on Orioles is don't try to make them stay the winter! They can make it through, but it requires a very dedicated person to feed them. They will eat grapes and grape jelly until it starts to get really cold. Then they need to get peanut butter mixed with suet, and lots of mealworms. The fats and protein are what enables them to survive the cold. Even if you have your own mealworm colony it is difficult to produce enough worms to give them enough to keep them alive. Then there is the problem of making sure they and not other birds (e.g. Starlings) get to eat this special food. You need to have a feeding cage, made of wire netting which will allow them but not the other birds, to get into it. Some people provide a bit of heat via lightbulbs to keep the food from freezing. I used to put hot water in a small plastic container with a second plastic container attached to the lid. Food in the second container. But you have to be home to change the water in cold weather so the whole thing doesn't freeze. Have I discouraged you? Hopefully your bird will move on towards the more hospitable South, and all will be well. Sometimes, though, they just don't go. Lois Codling L. Sackville On 20/11/2015 8:25 PM, D W Bridgehouse wrote: > The last 2 days we have had a new backyard bird in a male Baltimore > Oriole around our backyard feeding on the neighbors grapes . This bird > would be considered a “lifer” for me as a rank amateur watcher of > feeder birds that throng to our sunflower seed birdfeeder. > Up until yesterday I had never seen this bird before and actually had > to look it up . But the black head , burnt orange ( almost gold > orange ) body and what caught my eye were the white wing bars . Close > to size of a robin. > Quite a handsome bird ! > But it has been hanging around getting its fill of the grapes . > My question to those of you more knowledgeable than I – can this bird > be enticed to hang around if more food is provided , ie more grapes , > apple etc or do they usually not survive the winter around here ( > unless we have a mild winter ) do they feed on same food as robins or > will they take seed ? ? > I know these are not “rare “ but they seem to be not all that common . > Is that the premise with Baltimore Orioles > Thanks for any help from those with any experience who have fed > B.orioles in the past or present > Derek B > Dartmouth, NS > > > Night hath a thousand eyes. > Lyly,c.1589, Maydes Metamorphose --Boundary_(ID_pcteaq6rSSntVpoehCcIqQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-transfer-encoding: 8BIT <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> Hi Derek,<br> <br> My advice on Orioles is don't try to make them stay the winter! They can make it through, but it requires a very dedicated person to feed them. They will eat grapes and grape jelly until it starts to get really cold. Then they need to get peanut butter mixed with suet, and lots of mealworms. The fats and protein are what enables them to survive the cold. Even if you have your own mealworm colony it is difficult to produce enough worms to give them enough to keep them alive. Then there is the problem of making sure they and not other birds (e.g. Starlings) get to eat this special food. You need to have a feeding cage, made of wire netting which will allow them but not the other birds, to get into it. Some people provide a bit of heat via lightbulbs to keep the food from freezing. I used to put hot water in a small plastic container with a second plastic container attached to the lid. Food in the second container. But you have to be home to change the water in cold weather so the whole thing doesn't freeze.<br> <br> Have I discouraged you? Hopefully your bird will move on towards the more hospitable South, and all will be well. Sometimes, though, they just don't go.<br> <br> Lois Codling<br> L. Sackville<br> <br> <br> <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 20/11/2015 8:25 PM, D W Bridgehouse wrote:<br> </div> <blockquote cite="mid:C45E9C40D4CE4A538DB42267769F5351@DerekHP" type="cite"> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000"> <div>The last 2 days we have had a new backyard bird in a male Baltimore Oriole around our backyard feeding on the neighbors grapes . This bird would be considered a “lifer” for me as a rank amateur watcher of feeder birds that throng to our sunflower seed birdfeeder. </div> <div> </div> <div>Up until yesterday I had never seen this bird before and actually had to look it up . But the black head , burnt orange ( almost gold orange ) body and what caught my eye were the white wing bars . Close to size of a robin. </div> <div> </div> <div>Quite a handsome bird !</div> <div> </div> <div>But it has been hanging around getting its fill of the grapes .</div> <div> </div> <div>My question to those of you more knowledgeable than I – can this bird be enticed to hang around if more food is provided , ie more grapes , apple etc or do they usually not survive the winter around here ( unless we have a mild winter ) do they feed on same food as robins or will they take seed ? ?</div> <div> </div> <div>I know these are not “rare “ but they seem to be not all that common . Is that the premise with Baltimore Orioles </div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks for any help from those with any experience who have fed B.orioles in the past or present </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; COLOR: #000000">Derek B<br> Dartmouth, NS<br> <br> <br> Night hath a thousand eyes.<br> Lyly,c.1589, Maydes Metamorphose</div> </div> </div> </blockquote> <br&