Oriole Fix?

This morning as I was getting dressed I heard the distinct oriole whistle. I tore through the apartment looking for my red jelly dish and grape jelly. I could find neither. So, I grabbed a red candle and some chokecherry jelly and set that out along with the NovaBird Camera. For those that don't know, orioles are attracted by bright reds and oranges, so having a little extra color helps get their attention when they are moving through. I didn't get an oriole but I did manage to capture an image of a very confused looking house finch.

I had to go out and get a proper oriole set up. It suddenly dawned on me that I'm not going to get my usual oriole fix this year. I get orioles at home, but just for a couple of weeks. I got them constantly when I worked at the bird store and Non Birding Bill and I make trips out to Mr. Neil's to watch his feeders in the spring. Sitting down with a warm mug of coffee or tea and watching orioles is in my top ten list of things to do. I no longer work at the bird store and just learned that Mr. Neil's feeders have been demolished by bears so I will not be able to sit with a nice warm mug of coffee or tea and watch orioles to my heart's content as easily this spring? Where will I go this year? I'm a tad bummed.

I did head over to the bird store and picked up one of those Erva Ant Moats. They're supposed to be a trap to keep ants out jelly and nectar feeders, but their the metal design keeps them from braking even if a raccoon or bear knocks them down and the bright red color really attracts orioles. I think they work way better as a feeder than ant moat. I hung mine just above my domed X-1 Seed Saver and loaded it with grape jelly and mealworms. Hopefully I'll have some takers in tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, I stopped at the "Lose Your Shoes Event" at Arc's Value Village. Margery Punnett and Paul Black were on hand and I got my picture taken with half the Balanced Breakfast crew. Margery always asks great questions, she tends to apologize if they aren't the right question, but I like how her questions remind me that not every one knows as much about birds as I do. I love doing the Balanced Breakfast. We are supposed to talk about birds, but the segment frequently meanders--which is fun. I used to try and prepare for those segments the night before, but ever since the morning Ian gave me a Cosmo Quiz I decided that it's best to free my mind and just go with the flow. I'll say one thing, that show certainly helps break down the nerdy, dowdy birder stereotype.