The amazing Oriole Nests

This is the time of year when songbirds are actively foraging to feed their nestlings here in the north country. And one of the most dramatic of nests is made by orioles.

The female Baltimore oriole builds nests in either elm, maple or cottonwood trees. It involves a week of weaving strands of long grasses, grapevine bark, twine and horsehair to create a hanging nest about 3 to 4 inches deep with a small opening that bulges where the eggs will rest.

The clutch size is 3-7 eggs with an incubation period of 11-14 days. It is another 11-14 days of feeding before the young birds fledge.

Most of the food feed to the nestlings is insects. The abundance of insect invertebrates to feed the young birds is crucial this time of year.