Northern Oriole and Ruby Throat Hummingbird

by John
(Cottage Grove, MN)

We had moderate temperatures here in Cottage Grove, MN. on Wednesday but with high humidity.

This influx of warmer southern air brought with it a male Northern Oriole to our oriole feeding station and also a male Ruby Throated Hummingbird on the hummingbird nectar feeder.

I suspect these were two of the earliest arrivals of this year's migration as it rained on and off for Thursday and Friday and neither of these visitors has yet to return.

Once the temperatures bounce back up I suspect the activity to also increase as last year on the same date with warmer temps we saw a flurry of Orioles visiting the feeders along with Yellow Warblers, hummingbirds and even a few Bluebirds all on the same day.

Yellow Warblers and Bluebirds love dried mealworms in dish or cage feeders.

Cage feeders help keep the Starlings away from the dried mealworms.

The Yellow Warblers also like mealworm suet this time of year which you can find at most any store selling bird seed.

I also put out black oiler sunflowers at this time of year with the hope of attracting the beautiful male Indigo Bunting which is a stunning blue color with black accents.

Rose Breasted Grosbeaks like the same black sunflower seeds. They may also be attracted to jelly feeders as they like much of the same food as preferred by Northern Orioles.

I have yet to get a Scarlet Tanangers or Rose Breasted Grosbeak to come to feeding stations but since they both like the same food preferred by the Northern Oriole I remain hopeful one of the times I will get lucky enough to see them.

I once was lucky enough to get a male Indigo Bunting to visit one year in June and it was well worth the wait!!

This is one of the best times of the year to catch a variety of beautiful migrating birds just by feeding them as they are hungry from the long migration trip back to northern nesting sites.

John - Cottage Grove, MN