Oriole feeders

I bought a cheap plastic oriole feeder a bit ago that will last all of about a month around here once I start using it because of all the critters. Yesterday I bought some grape jelly. I'm looking forward to orioles visiting me. I found a neat little web site on orioles-
https://www.learner.org/jnorth/unpave/oriole.html
The site covers nesting materials and "oriole friendly" trees which was nice. Just thought anyone interested might enjoy that site.

My question for you search engine gurus out there or anyone who might have run into this particular birdfeeder anywhere is where can I find this exact oriole feeder made out of recyclable plastics cheaper than darn near $40 plus over $10 for shipping and handling-
http://www.birdsforever.com/oriolepdts.html

The one I have won't last through the winter. I can guarantee it.

You asked and you receive..........

Similar, $31.99

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=16322&N=2005+113871

hollow an orange and add grape jelly in this one for $9.99

http://birdfeederdiscovery.com/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=169

Not plastic for $19.95

http://backyardbirdwatcher.safeshopper.com/64/1928.htm?449

On sale for $26.99

http://www.storesonline.com/site/826320/product/BNWCOF

The other orange one (looks the same as you linked or one I linked) for sale at $28.99

http://www.storesonline.com/site/826320/product/BNSNOF

Another one for $19.99

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=16323&N=2005+114095

Now who knows, I might of linked the same thing twice. I know I was seeing the same or similar to what you linked a lot, but at varying prices.

Oh and Ms. Equil?? You'd take it in in the winter, they aren't going to be needing it.

Bravo!

The first one is probably a better design than the one I found because it has a solid roof. I don't know how long that clear plastic would last outside.

The second one I have two of. I have had them outside year round for a few years now. They are great for apples and oranges! Great find, they last forever. Well, I did have to replace the rope that they were hanging from.

The third one and the fourth one are wood. Those don't work too well around here and they don't last all that long either.

The fifth one you found is exactly what I was looking for and you outdid yourself finding that price for me!

Now the last one is awesome! That's the one I'm buying because it's made out of that recyclable plastic that lasts forever around here and because I can stick it to the window which is ideal.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

For anyone interested, the ones made out of that recyclable plastic can be scrubbed then dipped in a bucket of a mild solution of bleach to get them really clean. I like that these can be dunked in bleach. They can also be run through the dishwasher.

I have a call into the guy I bought it from: [HYPERLINK@www.mnbackyardbirds.com]

I don't think I paid that much for it.

I added some bamboo perches attached with duct tape. I don't know that it was necessary, but they seemed hesitant to go into the feeder before I added the perches. I don't think it's the greatest design but I like the recycled material part.

I often leave the oranges out. They like the jelly better and I can see them better without the oranges blocking my view.

Also, it's a bit of a task to keep clean.

I haven't experienced any damage on the roof and have had this one up since May.

sybil, your link isn't clickable?

edited because I can't spell

This message was edited Aug 10, 2007 10:16 AM

Let me try that again:

http://www.mnbackyardbirds.com

See if that works. If not, copy and past the url into your browser.

Never thought of the possibility of oranges blocking the view. It's the birds I wanted to see not the oranges. Really glad you mentioned that.

Never thought of them not using it with no perches. Glad you mentioned that too because if they seem hokey around the feeder, I'll just do as you did and add a few perches.

I know for sure I want the feeder that suction cups to the window in hopes I'll get some really close up views of orioles but I think because of your comments I'm going to switch gears and go for the plastic recyclable feeder in terryr's first link instead of the one I originally wanted because it's more square in design and the birds might not be so hesitant to use it without perches. The other deal in looking at the link you have is that the oranges are going to be smack dab in the middle of the feeder that I originally wanted. They should have put the oranges on the outside of the feeder with perches. You're right, design flaw. I'll go for the first feeder where orange slices can be hung up vertically.

Well Equil, I've personally never seen a suction bird feeder stay up when the weight of the birds gets on them. My mom had a hummingbird suction feeder that dropped off just with the weight of the little bit of sugar water it held. I've had orioles once. They drank the sugar water from my hummingbird feeder. I tried putting out oranges on the kind that have like a nail in it right above the platform for perching, but they weren't interested. Remember that bracket I linked to in another thread? Why not use that above your window . I don't anything would block your view.

Good points. All that said, I'm still happy to be attracting the Orioles. We have a whole family that often arrives in a group and they fight over the nectar feeders. Of course they fight over the jelly feeder too, but the variety keeps them coming and gives them plenty of sparing space!

I have been unwilling to put feeders up that attach to windows because I've had too many broken bird necks in my past to want to encourage them near the house. We have very small windows in this house so I would love to have more access for viewing but I'm afraid to encourage the destruction and death of my feathered friends.

So, how safe is it to attach feeders to windows? Also, are feeders attached in this way shaded enough to keep the food from getting too hot?

The Orioles don't seem to care much for the oranges but the House Finches loved them this spring. They tore them up and left orange debris everywhere.

Could we move this whole thread over to the Bird Watching thread?

Lucky you that you've got a whole family visiting. I'm hoping for orioles myself. I've never had a jelly feeder before and I'm told that's an open invitation to them to come on in for a visit.

Why are you getting broken bird necks? I've got suction cup bird feeders all over the windows to this house and I've not had any window crashes since I started leaving my lower screens up year round and adding sun catchers and home made streamers to the outsides of my windows to break the reflection so they don't fly into the windows thinking it's an extension of their space. I've also added hanging pieces of stained glass to some windows and mini blinds to others and I keep those down all the time but open. The stained glass and mini blinds can't always be seen from the outside, depends on the lighting. I must admit I refuse to clean my outside windows any longer because the dust helps prevent window collisions and I do have one big window that doesn't look too attractive because I took blue 1" masking tape and created a big X across it so the birds wouldn't hit the glass but then we pay the property taxes on this house not my neighbors. I did have one neighbor ask about the masking tape. I told her why it was up there like an eyesore, next thing I knew she had big black predator decals (even more of an eyesore than my masking tape) on some of her windows that she special ordered so she must have been losing birds to windows. Sort of glad she asked about my masking tape. I haven't had another bird death here in years since I began addressing the windows. Not even one bird knocked unconscious.

We've got quite a few finches that visit. I've noticed ours eating the oranges I've put out too. They seem to prefer the thistle seed bags though.

Most of the people who stop in over here in the Wildlife Gardening Forum are here because they create habitat for critters that are indigenous/native to the area in which they garden utilizing native and non-invasive plants. This would include all indigenous birds. I think one of the biggest differences between the Wildlife & Bird Watching Forums would be that where we are posting now (Wildlife Gardening Forum) is the actual gardening forum associated with wildlife gardening which is why it's placed under the General Gardening area of the GardenTalk tab while the other two forums are more for the sport and pure pleasure of watching birds and animals so they're under the Leisurely Pursuits area of the HomeTalk tab. I've seen threads over in the other forums about attracting birds and critters to one's property and I've seen whole threads over here that were just photographs so there are cross over threads and nobody seems to mind. Bird Watching is probably the most popular past time in the US and UK.

There are quite a few people who use native plants over here working on their garden schemes for the sole purpose of attracting and sustaining NA wildlife given habitat is being lost to many factors with development and invasive species being top of the list. Most of the people over here do not encourage European starlings or English house sparrows (most practice passive control of them while others practice active control of them- they dispatch them) and allowing domestic or feral cats access to the great outdoors is generally not viewed as kosher over here where it seems to be ignored in other forums. I doubt if you would find anyone in the Indigenous Plants or Wildlife Gardening Forum who lets their dog run loose or who is feeding stray or feral cats or who is a landlord to a feral cat colony. Different belief systems about gardening are present as each forum takes on a life of its own.

I like all three forums very much but for very different reasons. I love the photos and stories in the two forums under Leisurely Pursuits because the photography is often spectacular and me and my MIL sit around on some Sundays looking at all the wonderful photos. I love this particular forum because it's more nuts and bolts about creating the actual habitat for wildlife and discussing how to address the existence of introduced species that threaten or endanger native wildlife.

Cross over type threads happen. Check this thread out-
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/734581/
If people want information from over here posted somewhere else- they just ask and it's done! And, vice versa! I've also seen other forums linking to some of the threads here. We all garden, we all just have different styles of gardening so some people gravitate to some forums while others gravitate to yet others. DG is a big place, there's room for all styles of gardening.

That is all great information. Thank you!

I have a question about window strikes by birds.(post by sybil about bird crashes and window feeders ). I've had my 1st strike recently, fortunately the bird just hit and flew away. When I googled "window crashes by birds" I came up with some of the reasons it happened. I have a large new picture window directly across from a window on the other side of the building causing it to look like a clear escape tunnel for the bird, I have plants in the window, I had placed a silk dragonfly on the end of a reed in a container as decoration (I guess it looked like the real thing), I had moved the decorative owl from that window (although after researching I have the impression this is not effective). I was wondering if anyone had tried the spider web decals (Droll Yankee Window Warning Web) as a deterrent ? It seems many birding sites recommend it. The birds don't care to fly into webs. I also read that window feeders were better then feeders placed a few feet from the window ( the birds a few feet away can become scared and fly into the window quickly while the birds at the window feeders wouldn't have built up any speed even if they hit the window).

Very interesting. I had never seen that web product before you mentioned it.

Here's a little blurb from their page,

Couple thoughts on this, the static cling window decals have been used for a while but this one at only 8" x 8" might be too small to be effective. Larger static cling decals of spider webs are available around Halloween. People do use them and they leave them up year round.

The realistic dragonfly you described above was probably a real bad idea. That's one of those deals where I can honestly say that I probably would have bought one and put it up only to have what happened to you happen to me. Glad you took yours down and if I ever see one for sale, I won't buy it. I love dragonflies and can guarantee I would have bought the same one you bought if I had run across it.

From personal experience, the lifelike owls and hawks are worthless after no time at all. I have a photo somewhere of a crow sitting on the head of my first owl. Squirrels and chipmunks regularly scurry around underneath it. I used it by the book and moved it around daily from one stake to another yet the critters figured it out. Now Mr. Owl rests on the same stake day after day because he's totally ineffective. Other friends have had the same experience with the lifelike owls. I also tried the one with the glowing eyes as well as the one with the swivel head. None of the Mr. Owls work after about a week.

I haven't read anything about window feeder placement however I have at least 10 suction cup window feeders attached to windows and no bird hits. I started using a suction cup feeder because I wanted a close up view. I didn't realize at the time it was going to help reduce bird collisions but no hits to that window. I added a few more to other windows then a few more to yet other windows.

For me, I think the greatest deterrents here have been leaving up my screens year round on all windows that have screens, streamers that I tack up over the windows, sun catchers and suction cup feeders on the outside of windows, and the big blue x in masking tape across the one large picture window above my front doors. Every window that does not have a screen on it has suction cup bird feeders on it now. All decorative semi circle arch windows have the streamers on them and the atrium doors have all the suncatchers at assorted heights. Adding mini blinds and stained glass (or plants) on the inside can help but only at certain times of the day when they are visible from the outside to a bird. Dirty windows help too but probably not as much as the other deterrents. All of them together have reduced my window collisions to zero.