It’s time to start looking for a couple of my favorite birds: Baltimore Orioles and Hummingbirds. To prepare my yard for the orioles, I place freshly cut orange halves out in a tree to draw them to the yard. When I start seeing them myself, I will add grape jelly to the feeder that holds the oranges too. I have had the oranges out for around a week now but haven’t seen an oriole yet though they have been reported in Essex County.
Our hummingbird equipment took a beating last year, so we refreshed with a new feeder this year. These photos show my hummingbird preparation over the weekend. I made nectar (4 parts water to 1 part sugar boiled then cooled) and filled our RED feeder as well as the new “drive by” tube. I noticed on the Hummingbird Migration 2023 Google map that a few hummingbirds have been spotted in our area already so perhaps I am a little behind schedule. If you are interested, I saw good information at this site Empress of Dirt.
I am including a recent screenshot of the migration map for our region though a live interactive version can also be found at Empress of Dirt and other places. Stay tuned for updates. What’s your over/under on me sighting/sharing hummingbirds first or Joey? Never mind, who would take that bet?????
Good Morning Gloucester 