Fruits and jelly

American robins, Gray catbirds, Blue jays, and Northern cardinals are readily attracted to apple halves. Place the halves on nails that are driven into a perch, such as a tree stump or the lop of a log, near the ground.

While it is generally well known that Northern orioles feed on orange halves, it is less well known that Red-bellied and Red-headed woodpeckers are also attracted to them.

As with apple halves, simply push the orange halves onto nails that are partially driven into convenient logs, stumps, or the roofs of feeders.

I go through five or six jars of grape jelly every summer and our family enjoys a constant procession of orioles at the jelly feeder.

Gray catbirds and American robins will also eat grape jelly.

Generic brands are the least inexpensive to use and work well in attracting birds to your feeders.

Provide the jelly in shallow trays about three or four inches in diameter and about one inch in depth.

In the spring, I usually place an orange half near the feeder, as the orange color helps attract the attention of the orioles.

Ripe bananas have two potential uses for the bird-feeding enthusiast.

First, try placing several overripe bananas in a mesh bag and hang it near your hummingbird feeder. The fruit will soon attract a colony of fruit flies.

The hummingbirds will drink the sugar water and alternately visit the "banana bag" to capture the fruit flies, which provide a good source of protein.

A second use of bananas is to place some on a feeder tray in the spring and early summer, especially during the warbler migration. Peel one side or split the banana lengthwise to expose the fruit.

Tennessee warbler, Summer tanangers, and Northern orioles are all potential visitors for a banana lunch.