Baltimore orioles are chattering again on the deck as they bicker over the orange halves and grape jelly. Same with the ruby-throated hummingbirds, with males seemingly more intent on chasing off rivals than actually taking a sip of the nectar in the feeders. The orioles have been tapping into the sugar water as well; they seem to like everything sweet.

Rose-breasted grosbeaks divide their time between the oranges and the black oil sunflower seeds. And all but the hummingbirds take their turns at the suet, which was surprising — I thought only woodpeckers, jays and the blackbird-related species had a taste for beef fat, though the type I use has chopped peanuts and peanut butter mixed in as well.

The only no-show of the colorful late spring migrants for now have been indigo buntings, but other residents in the area have had them, so maybe they’ll come along. Same with scarlet tanagers, which usually are hit-and-miss at our place while turning up at neighbors.

Heard but not seen have been common yellowthroat warblers, with its “witchety-witchety-witchety” song, and an eastern whip-poor-will. Other warblers are undoubtedly present but hidden.

Black oil sunflower seeds occupy a rose-breasted grosbeak.

We’ve had to devise a routine that gets the feeders safely inside for the night, as bears, too, have returned — despite hanging the suet cage high, a bear managed to take it down and leave it not just empty but misshaped, though still usable. The bear left behind several tufts of woolly black fur as well that I’m betting the nesting bird soon snapped up. It seemed to be shedding as badly as our cats. Mom now makes sure both the seed feeder and suet are indoors before nightfall.

With the chokecherries, marsh marigolds and trillium beginning to bloom, it’s a particularly gorgeous time of year in the region. Well worth savoring before the seasons switch.

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On the subject of feeding, there’s been a lively online discussion on the merits and risks of providing grape jelly for the orioles. While popular with the birds, some experts warn against the practice because the jelly can stain feathers, which can impair flight, and birds have even gotten bogged down in the sticky mass. Others questioned whether jelly might be bad, nutrition-wise, for birds.

Back in 2019, I talked about feeding grape jelly with Laura Erickson of Duluth, Minn., an author who was science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, one of my favorite online reference sites for bird information. Erickson also has a podcast, blog and long-running public radio program, “For the Birds”; more information on her impressive background can be found on her website, www.lauraerickson.com.

She said grape jelly should pose no health hazard to orioles, but did caution not to go overboard on the amount and use small containers. One year, at the height of spring migration when she knew she was going to be gone much of the day, Erickson put out a larger bowl of jelly. When she returned, she found a tiny red-breasted nuthatch mired up to its eyeballs in the sticky mass. Luckily, it was a bird she’d been able to hand-feed through the winter, so it was tame enough to endure several baths and survived, Erickson said, though for some time it retained a purple stain on its belly.

Her other advice on grape jelly was check the label and avoid any that have artificial sweeteners or coloring. Erickson also recommended the jelly be made with sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Generally, the simpler the ingredients, the better the jelly likely is to be for the birds, she said.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.