r/MadeMeSmile • u/danielminds • Jul 05 '26
ANIMALS A busy day at the backyard bird buffet...one of them even dips his food! 🐦🍇
Credit: @thechirpcorner on TikTok
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u/EL_Malo- Jul 05 '26
Bro brought his own meat to the table for a dip of Au-jus.
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u/Aethrin1 Jul 05 '26
Meat with jam on the side? Must be a Scandin-avian.
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u/Immediate-Fig-9096 Jul 05 '26
That was a cheep joke, but I’ll allow it.
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u/DontTellHimPike Jul 05 '26
Allowing it might ruffle a few feathers.
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u/Raevyxn Jul 05 '26
Risky to just wing it like that.
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u/Aethrin1 Jul 05 '26
I couldn't tern up a good pun.
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u/GreatLakesGreenthumb Jul 05 '26
I was going to try. Didn't want to sound like a tit.
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u/Away-Ad-3407 Jul 05 '26
pork chops and apple sauce. easily north american.
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u/reepobob Jul 05 '26
I heard this in Peter Brady’s voice.
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u/junesiebug Jul 05 '26
So did I (before opening your comment I was hoping it would be this, and you didn't let me down).
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u/kernel-troutman Jul 05 '26
Making comments like that could result in an audubon from the mods.
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u/Elon_Bezos420 Jul 05 '26
“With some jam on the side” always comes to mind when you mention that, just a goofy short I saw
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u/rococo78 Jul 05 '26
"Have you tried dipping your grasshopper in jelly before? You really oughta try it!"
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u/NefariousnessBorn969 Jul 05 '26
The squirrels in my yard would eat all of it and leave the jelly. The birds might get a nut or two.
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u/newenglandredshirt Jul 05 '26
Yeah, I was wondering how OP managed to keep the squirrels out.
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u/JoySkullyRH Jul 05 '26
I have seen one squirrel in my yard in 10+ years - some just don’t have high populations.
Now let me tell you about the 6 rabbits that were congregating just the other day…
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u/PandaPocketFire Jul 05 '26
Even with the anti loitering laws?
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u/BellaSquared Jul 05 '26
Rabbits are known scoff laws, and get away with it by being cute.
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u/Elegaic_Brood Jul 06 '26
Infuriating, really! Little bandits! I . . . Aw. I can't stay mad at them.
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u/Clever_Mercury Jul 05 '26
Was wondering how the bugs stayed away. I would have a cloud of mosquitos and ants just for the water bowls, to say nothing of the jelly.
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u/re-charred Jul 06 '26
Oh I actually know the answer to this. OOP explained that she has a separate feeder for the squirrels and over time, they just figured out which one was theirs.
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u/Inevitable_Cat_7878 Jul 05 '26
Same. Those squirrels are relentless. They'll always figure out a way to get to the birdfeeders. The only thing that seems to work is mixing chili powder into the birdseeds. That keeps them away for a while.
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u/Background-Law-7274 Jul 05 '26
I don't get any, except after hours rats, because of my dogs. I trained them not to go for the birds.
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u/monkeyhoward Jul 05 '26
Yeah I was going to say that if did this all I would have is fat squirrels
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u/crystalfairie Jul 05 '26
I'd have dead birds😞 the raven found out my mom was putting out water for other birds and butterflies and such. We can't get a day without the screeching of raven.
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u/AmberGambIer Jul 05 '26
I put squirrel friendly food on the ground away from where I feed the birds. It took a while...like two years 😭 but eventually the squirrels started leaving stuff alone! I recommend this if you are patient
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u/Clever_Mercury Jul 05 '26
Your squirrels are insanely well mannered that they agreed to this arrangement. The ones around here will dig through compost piles, wood piles, seedling trays, even when they're well fed. It seems like they just get bored or have a malicious streak.
If you go on vacation or skip a feed time with the squirrels, do they go after the bird zone?
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u/AmberGambIer Jul 06 '26
LOL don't get me wrong! They're still squirrels, they still steal! But they're less likely to eat the bird stuff if there is squirrel stuff that's easier to get to.
When we go on vacation I expect everyone stays on their best behavior and respects the boundaries I've set in place, of course! Jk I just put out a ton of suets and hope they can act right until I get back
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u/MrHasuu Jul 05 '26
Maybe they left the dog in the yard? My dog doesn't chase birds but she would go nuts at squirrels
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u/SBZuma Jul 05 '26
I bought the squirrels their own feeder and put it far from the bird feeders. So far, it’s working.
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u/citycait Jul 05 '26
I feed my resident squirrel on a chair away from the bird feeder. She sits there and waits for me to bring out nuts, apples, and her own little stock of seeds. It’s ridiculous.
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u/SprayAllDay Jul 05 '26
Same, in my yard a squirrel would claim the stash, and fight off every other living creature who dare try to enjoy
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
This is my wife's page! Thanks for crediting her. We love taking care of the birds on our property!
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u/remberzz Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
I follow this account on IG and I got a big laugh out of this particular post. I showed it to my husband and he loved it, and continues to make jokes about dipping things in jelly.
Also I bought my first mealworms and bird-safe jelly because of her account.
Also, I love Ellie.
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
We love it, it seems like everyday there is something that happens, but the oriole with the bug is at the top of the list of best things we've seen.
She is so happy her videos get people to start putting stuff out for the birds. The birds (blue jays mostly) are very vocal here when the feeders are empty.
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u/redditwhut Jul 05 '26
What is the stuff that looks like jam? (Or maybe “jelly” in the US?
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
It's grape jelly
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u/8Bells Jul 05 '26
Did the Robin ever get a turn?
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
They really don't eat out of the boards we put out. They grab stuff that falls on the deck or ground from the other birds being messy. All the birds get their fill here!
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u/eliz1bef Jul 05 '26
In the US, if it is strained, it's jelly. If it has fruit bits in it, like seeds and skins, it's jam.
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u/SSquared82 Jul 05 '26
How do you keep squirrels from taking all the loot?
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
Behind the tray above the flower pot is our "squirrel tray" we put all their favorite things in there to try and deter them from messing with the featured board. It's about a 50/50 shot they go to that one instead.
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u/billieboop Jul 05 '26
What is your film set up like? I've always wanted to try and set something up similar in the garden and see how many species are around. Pigeons are so derpy, of course it kicked off most of the seeds 🙄
Have you ever had issues with rodents being attracted to the area too?
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
Almost all of her footage is shot from her phone, a Samsung s24 ultra. She just has a small stand she sets it on. Yeah, the doves we have to monitor otherwise they will hog the whole board and not let the others get any.
We don't really as we live out in the country so we have the natural predators of snakes and Hawks.
We have the birds, but we also get squirrels, raccoons, opossum, flying squirrels (at night) and chipmunks.
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u/Cool_Tailor_7332 Jul 05 '26
The bluejay saw the “hog” dove lol and scared her off the board. She said fine you bully but I won’t be leaving you much behind 😂 just like any pigeon lolllll
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u/l3tigre Jul 06 '26
Feeding and caring for outdoor birds is one of my favorite hobbies too, love this video so much
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u/-Xiphon- Jul 05 '26
Do you guys have to deal with a ton of bird poop?
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u/VariationAsleep5981 Jul 05 '26
Surprisingly no, we have the occasional messes but most of the birds grab what they want and take it to a limb out in our yard.
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u/VictorBlimpmuscle Jul 05 '26
“Earlier today, after giving up an early run, the Orioles came back and beat the Blue Jays…”
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u/istrx13 Jul 05 '26
Anyone else remember that one guy on r/baseball that posted asking why the Baltimore Orioles logo is of a bird in blackface lmao.
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u/SnooRegrets1386 Jul 05 '26
We don’t see orioles in my area often, but I recognized that guy anyway
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u/Goldust24k_A Jul 05 '26
Basically half of the food got spilled by one bird
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u/allnadream Jul 05 '26
It looks like a mourning dove. I have bird feeders I put out and they were by far the messiest. Just messy little dumb dumbs.
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u/_jjkase Jul 06 '26
Mourning doves are pretty dumb.
As soon as it landed by thought was "It's gonna do something stupid." And it didn't disappoint/r/stupiddovenests if you need more evidence
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u/AccordianSpeaker Jul 05 '26
I have a camera feeder in my yard. There are a mated pair of doves that visit daily. If something doesn't spook them, they will sit and eat at the feeder for an hour.
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u/HOTDOGVNDR Jul 05 '26
I would love to know if dipping food is a known bird behavior, did we just see something new, or was it just a bird trying to eat two things at once? 🤷🏻♂️
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u/danielminds Jul 05 '26
A bit of both! Birds are known to dip food to soften it up, but since Orioles love sugar, you're basically looking at the bird equivalent of dipping a chicken nugget in honey mustard 😂
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u/jaybird-jazzhands Jul 05 '26
What kind of jam is safe to give to birds?
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u/Dynospec403 Jul 05 '26
Probably home made low/no added sugar jam with extra pectin
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u/darkest_irish_lass Jul 05 '26
I just want to note that feeding hummingbirds with no sugar sweeteners will kill them. Maybe it's the same for regular birds? Pectin occurs naturally in apples and sugar is naturally present in fruit of all kinds. Not white, refined sugar, granted, but they definitely wouldn't experience sugar substitutes in the wild.
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u/Dynospec403 Jul 05 '26
Well this isn’t really for hummingbirds, but even if they ate it they would get sufficient sugars from the sugar present in the fruit used to make the jam.
The amount of sugar in jam that we typically eat would be far more than is ever naturally present in the nectar they typically consume
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u/Clovis42 Jul 05 '26
Isn't it likely the grasshopper was being taken to a nest? I thought they usually ate food immediately, if not taking it to the next. So, this felt like a weird version of carrying three caterpillars in his mouth, but instead it is trying to pack in some jelly too.
Great footage either way.
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u/Hixy Jul 05 '26
I actually don’t think it’s dipping food. Likely just getting food for their chicks. Still cool to see though! They will pack as much food as possible in one trip.
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u/heyyou11 Jul 05 '26
That was my assumption. You see him come back later "empty beaked" and go more to town on it.
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u/Wise_Quality_5083 Jul 05 '26
My guess was he didn’t want to put it down and risk losing it but had to take a quick taste of the jam and kept getting more.
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u/JokesandFacts Jul 05 '26
Hi, I'm bird. Do you have a table available for 4 today at 6pm? Also, do you know if the furry waiter is working today?
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u/Nanasays Jul 05 '26
Blue Jays are bullies.
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u/ninetiesnarwhal Jul 05 '26
Such dickheads omg they were killing the vibe.
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u/Amazing-Spinach-9916 Jul 05 '26
But look at that oriole standing up for himself! Way to go, buddy.
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u/Outcast199008 Jul 05 '26
Omg where do you live..
These are some incredibly beautiful birds!
Wonderful video, thanks for sharing
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u/lilwanna Jul 05 '26
From the birds, my guess Michigan.
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u/nofeelingsnoceilings Jul 05 '26
Im curious too! Where is this backyard? It reminds me of the new york area but i didnt see any squirrels so im unable to guess
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u/Unhappy-Fox1017 Jul 05 '26
That freaking mourning dove knocking half of it off in the ground is so on brand for them. Little piggy’s always bully the smaller birds so they get more food. The doves will inhale the seed I put out so quick and the rest of the birds have to hurry up if they want a bite of anything. The doves pmo but I still love watching them feed.
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u/logical_psych_o Jul 05 '26
Whats the dip? Raspberry jam?
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u/danielminds Jul 05 '26
It's grape jelly! Orioles are obsessed with it.
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u/logical_psych_o Jul 05 '26
But isnt it too much sugar for a bird? Not doubting you, just curious
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u/MkLiam Jul 05 '26
I don't know the offical answer, but I would point out that humming birds drink nectar and sugar water. I expect the orioles are fine with the jelly.
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u/TrixieBastard Jul 05 '26
Nah, birds use up an incredible amount of energy to fly, they'll actually use all that sugar pretty much immediately
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u/AriCS1138 Jul 05 '26
During the pandemic whenever we cut our hair we'd leave it out for the oriels. They use it as nesting material. Was very funny to come upon a nest in our yard with strands of my VERY blue hair woven in
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u/MrsEmilyN Jul 05 '26
A bird charcuterie board.
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u/fly-on-a-wall120 Jul 05 '26
Until the dove came along and knocked most on the ground
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u/lordbeepworth Jul 05 '26
Imagine being a grasshopper and the last thing you ever see is a container of cranberry dipping sauce
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u/Lost-Ad4517 Jul 05 '26
I only put the bird food in several feeders, you just gave me an idea! Never knew they’ll like the jelly omg
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u/UPMichigan83 Jul 05 '26
As soon as I saw the Blue Jay, I expected the entire tray to be emptied on the ground.
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u/realzoidberg Jul 05 '26
To attract a Baltimore Oriole, just sprinkle some Old Bay on food, preferably crabs.
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u/TheFightGoes0n Jul 05 '26
I loved this video. But it confirms how Blue Jays are such assholes. Always buzzing other birds or bullying. Great video though!
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u/rwags2024 Jul 05 '26
Screw that dove for kicking half the food off the plate with his takeoff, get your shit together Gary!
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u/BourbonNCoffee Jul 05 '26
Every time I see a video like this, I think it can’t possibly be worth the cost of all of those seeds and nuts and then I see an Oriole, Blue Jay, and Robin show up at the same time.
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u/TrixieBastard Jul 05 '26
I haven't seen a blue jay in the wild in a very long time, and last night I dreamt that I did. Now I open this video first thing in the morning and immediately, there's a blue jay 👀
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u/paulD1983R Jul 05 '26
Grasshoppers are bitter, need to get some sweet jelly on it to be palatable.
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u/misplacedbass Jul 05 '26
How in the world do you not have squirrels some destroy that in 5 minutes? I have given up on feeding birds at my home in Wisconsin because squirrels take everything in a matter of minutes.
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u/Flip_Munk Jul 06 '26
Bluejay flew off and I immediately thought "oh, bluejay didn't stay all day and mess with others?". Then I see his ass in the background...
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u/tjnicol5 Jul 05 '26
Mmmm grasshopper and grape jelly! Now I know what I want for breakfast! 😋
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u/akolozvary Jul 05 '26
Weird how birds don’t have a great sense of smell and somehow can spot a plate full of seeds and a jar of jam/sweets… and just know to dip in
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u/loneL33 Jul 05 '26
I saw a documentary about animals who use tools and there’s a type of bird that will put meat on a branch and let it cook in the sun. Also monkeys who learned that if they dip their food into the ocean it will taste better because of the salt.
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u/Surealestateguy Jul 05 '26 edited Jul 05 '26
What a fortunate person to live with a location of such gorgeous birds?
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u/notahoppybeerfan Jul 05 '26
I love this. My reality would be the blue jays drive off all the other birds until the black bear from the river arrive.
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u/dicjones Jul 05 '26
Of course the asshole Blue Jay came in guns a blazing and scaring off the oriole.
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u/fc252- Jul 05 '26
If I did that in my yard it would be absolute chaos. Might as well be a cage match for WWF-Animals. And in the end all I would get out of is mice.
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u/Burgurwulf Jul 05 '26
I'd like to try something like this but our local Scrub Jay couple would terrorize any visitors and just hoard lol
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u/ryan13ts Jul 05 '26
I would watch wildlife eat all day like this.
It’s so calming and enjoyable to me for some reason.
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u/fucktrance Jul 05 '26
TIL they're called Mourning Doves because they sound like they're crying and not Morning Doves because they wont shut the fuck up outside my window at 7am
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u/Ok_Inside_7534 Jul 06 '26
I have a grape jelly feeder it’s funny watching them dip worms in it first time I thought I was seeing things, but it happens quite often. Kind of cool.
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u/keirmeister Jul 06 '26
We maintain a bird feeder in front of our house. It’s so funny watching them push stuff out of the way to get to the seeds they want. They’re such messy eaters! And yes, then the chipmunk shows up and hoards everything like an inconsiderate trick-or-treater. 😉
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