Date: 5/8/26 1:59 pm From: Ann Kramer via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Fruit Feeders?
When we lived in California, we had Oriole feeders for the Hooded and
Bullock's Orioles. When we put out oranges, they consistently chose the
nectar, grape jelly and live worms (who wouldn't?) over the oranges. So we
stopped.
The reason I would be very careful about putting fruit out in the PNW, is
due their possible attraction to rodents. We have so few fruit eaters
here, as Dennis said, and it's not worth the risk unless you are willing to
take down whatever is left at the end of the day. The fruit in suet and
serviceberry, elderberry and other trees has been my choice. I now have 8
serviceberry trees in the front and the backyard. Somebody stop me! lol
I do wonder, as the weather gets warmer and I read about the whopper of an
El Nino we are expecting this year and next, if we will find that some of
these tropical migrants will soon be seen more often up here.
*Ann*
Ann Pultz Kramer
Stanwood, WA
"*Use what talents you possess; the wood would be very silent if no birds
sang there except those that sang best**."*
*Henry Van Dyke*
On Wed, May 6, 2026 at 3:20 PM Dennis Paulson via Tweeters <
<tweeters...> wrote:
> Like Hans, I have seen a lot of birds coming to cut oranges, even at
> Malheur NWR in southern Oregon, where they attracted Western Tanagers. And
> I know people in the East attract Baltimore Orioles that way.
>
> Unfortunately, our common fruit-eaters such as robins and waxwings don’t
> seem to be attracted to feeders, fruit or not. I suspect you wouldn’t get a
> lot of visitors here, but why not try it? In the tropics, of course, they
> use bananas as well, and those are really attractive to a whole host of
> fruit-eaters.
>
> Dennis Paulson
> Seattle
>
> On May 6, 2026, at 2:33 PM, Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
> Jim,
> I don't know about here but at the birding areas at South Padre Island
> (SPI), Texas they use oranges cut in half. It attracts warblers, orioles,
> tanagers etc.
>
> Hans
>
> On Wed, May 6, 2026 at 1:39 PM Jim Betz via Tweeters <
> <tweeters...> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> We live in Skagit County. On our recent trip to Ecuador all of the
>> birding
>> lodges we stayed at and birding locations ("reserves") put out fruit
>> feeders
>> that were very popular with a wide range of species. We've only used
>> seed and suet feeders.
>>
>> ===> Have you tried any kind of fruit feeders here in Western
>> Washington?
>> Worked? Problems/challenges? What fruits work best? What
>> fruits don't work at all? Are there other types of feed
>> that work
>> well (breads?)? Do you get different species due to using
>> fruit?
>> - Jim
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>
> --
> *Hans Feddern*
> Twin Lakes/Federal Way, WA
> <thefedderns...>
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