Anyone else have robins guarding a oriole feeder?

[a kennedy]

We have a oriole feeder up and have all kinds of birds eating the jelly. Every once in a while a robin will attack catbirds, Orioles, sparrows, and at times other robins when they attempt to get some jelly. What's up with that? The only birds that don't eat from the feeder are the morning doves.....all other birds stop by and take some gulps of the grape jelly.

[UTUSN]

1. There are some weird birds, blue jays downright malicious.

Are the robins guarding in a territorial sense, as in taking possession? A blue jay once saw me coming where a squirrel was on a branch above my path, and it dive bombed the squirrel to make it fall in front of me, I guess so that mean old me would do something horrible to the squirrel.

I didn't know those doves were also called turtledoves or that they are hunted for meat, somebody eats them?!1 From Wiki:

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The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the turtle dove or the American mourning dove or rain dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove.[2] It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, a form of sonation. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).[3]

Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

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[a kennedy]

2. Yes they are hunted although I don't know why.....

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/mourningdove/index.html

I think they are so beautiful....love their coloring. I can tell the male from the females, the males neck has some silvery like feathers, I have to be very close to see it though.