Baltimore Oriole Sightings in Sterling Ridge, The Woodlands

Baltimore orioles in Sterling Ridge?

7 posts · 884 views · started 1mo ago

1. Sep 28, 2026, 9:59 AM#1
   Sorry if this has been asked before, we just moved down from Ohio earlier this year and I am still trying to figure out all the wildlife around Sterling Ridge. I was sitting by our back window this morning and spotted what I am pretty sure was a female Baltimore Oriole! She was hanging out right by our bird bath and the lawn sprinkler alongside our regular yard birds. I know the hummingbirds are starting to move out for the season, so it was really cool to see new migrants coming through. A neighbor mentioned that if you put cut oranges outside it helps attract them. Has anyone else seen orioles in their yard lately?

   New here, be nice

2. Sep 28, 2026, 10:13 AM#2
   Oh wow, honestly I haven't seen one yet in our yard (my dog usually scares everything off before I can even look out the back window), but that is so cool! My husband is traveling for work this week so I am on full solo kid and pet duty, but I am honestly slicing up an orange right now to put on the back patio table. Hopefully the kids don't eat it first.

   Carpool lane survivor

3. Sep 28, 2026, 10:45 AM#3
   We had a pair pass through Cochran's Crossing late yesterday afternoon while I was out in the yard. My two labs were completely unfazed, but our old cat was chattering at the window for an hour. They definitely love water. Ours spent about ten minutes splashing around in the bird bath before taking off into the oak canopy. Buster & Daisy

   Biscuit and Gravy's dad

4. Sep 28, 2026, 10:46 AM#4
   Use the search function next time. We get a thread on fall migration every September like clockwork. Orioles pass through Montgomery County twice a year on the Central Flyway. Slice the oranges in half and impale them on a branch or a wooden feeder stake so raccoons don't carry them off.

   This has been covered. Twice.

5. Sep 28, 2026, 10:46 AM#5
   Thank you so much Sam, and sorry about not searching first! I will definitely try impaling the orange half on a branch like you suggested. Do you usually leave them out all day or take them in at night so pests don't get them?

   New here, be nice

6. Sep 28, 2026, 10:46 AM#6
   While bird watching is a wonderful community pastime, kindly remember that open fruit placed in trees or on patio tables can attract unwanted pests and roof rats. Section 4.08 of the Woodlands Residential Standards addresses wildlife nuisances and waste management. If you choose to offer cut oranges, please ensure they are secured in an appropriate feeder and discarded before decay sets in. The WCA is technically a covenants enforcement body and not a traditional homeowners association, but maintaining clean yards protects all our village neighborhoods.

   "Section 4.2 is pretty clear on this."

7. Sep 28, 2026, 10:46 AM#7
   Buying bags of oranges to feed migratory birds that stay in your yard for forty-eight hours is a questionable return on investment, but to each their own. Also, for those keeping track, bird seed and manufactured feeders purchased in Texas carry the standard 8.25% state and local sales tax, whereas grocery fruit is tax-exempt under Texas Tax Code Section 151.314. So technically, slicing up a grocery store orange saves you 8.25% in sales tax compared to buying commercial oriole nectar mixes at the store. Run your own numbers.

   CPA | Ask me about your effective rate