---

   Each year, we have a certain number of birds that freeload off us because it is easier than going out into the woods and finding their real food. We encourage their errant behavior because we enjoy watching them as they go about their nest building and raising their young. Last week, my wife and I were sitting on the porch when we saw a male Baltimore oriole in one of the oak trees near the house. We thought we had heard one singing earlier in the day, but neither of us could remember for sure from one year to the next what their mating call sounded like. After being certain that the orioles had returned, I jumped up and got a dish of grape jelly for him or them. A person does not want to put out the jelly too soon as every creature in the wild seems to enjoy it. Last year, when I put the jelly in their feeder, I also placed a small animal live trap on the ground next to the old oak tree. This was baited with a small amount of grape jelly. I caught and removed raccoons, opossums, and squirrels almost every day. Between refilling the jelly dish and hauling off animals, the process was getting to be more work than it was worth. This year, I put the jelly out in the morning and bring it back to the house in the evening. We are not attracting unwelcome nighttime visitors and Billie can keep the squirrels at bay during the day.

   While several pairs of orioles have become regular visitors, several other birds that are supposed to only eat seeds or insects have developed a liking to grape jelly. A pair of red headed woodpeckers and a flicker seem to stop by at least once each day. Rose breasted grossbeaks seem to have given up on their natural diet in favor of free jelly. I even saw a cardinal this morning eating grape jelly. I have decided, everything from horses and cows to raccoons and squirrels will eat jelly if given the opportunity. The dog enjoys licking the spoon on the way back from replenishing the supply. I have never seen grape jelly growing wild, and that may be because everything ate it before I got there.

   Other seasonal freeloaders that show up each spring are the hummingbirds. A couple of days after the orioles returned, my wife and I were sitting on the couch when we saw the first hummingbird of the season. He went to every window in the house, pausing to look in briefly before going to the next one. We took this as a subtle hint that we were supposed to get up and get him some food. My wife mixed up some sugar water for him while I got the hummingbird feeder out of the closet in the garage. It is simple and inexpensive to make food for the little birds. A mixture of one part plain white sugar to four parts water is all it takes. No coloring is required and probably not good for them. Boil the water to dissolve the sugar, cool, and serve. It took about a half hour for the little hummer to find the fresh juice, but he and his mate have been at it many times each day since then. I am sure, in the next few days, more migrating hummingbirds will stop for a visit and several pairs will spend the summer here, raising their young and entertaining porch sitters.

   Once a person starts feeding the freeloading birds, it is difficult to stop. I am sure the hummingbirds could find enough nectar from flowers in the area, but it is hard to ignore them when they are begging at the windows. The orioles though, might have difficulty finding enough wild jelly to survive. We are stuck with feeding our freeloading birds all summer.

 

---