Thursday, November 24, 2011

Creating a Homemade Birdfeeder

!: Creating a Homemade Birdfeeder

Making a homemade bird feeder can be thrilling for the old and young alike, as there are so many different types of materials that are useful for fashioning a homemade bird feeder. Our family has enjoyed the art of creating homemade bird feeders as not only is it a creative activity for the children but also a chance for them to get an up closer look at the wild birds that make their homes in the outdoors. To be quite honest for me, the enjoyment that shows on the faces of children is just as thrilling as being able to feed the birds and watch them closely through our windows.

Making your own homemade bird feeders are both economically and environmentally rewarding as well. Sure, it is nice to have store bought bird feeders, however, there is something much more personally rewarding in the use of many household items that we use everyday, such as egg cartons and old toilet paper and paper towel rolls or even the use of empty plastic drink bottles and coffee cans. Anyone can use his or her creativity to fashion a homemade bird feeder. Children seem to be especially enchanted by making their own bird feeder.

If you take a look around your house, you will be able to find several things that can be use for feeding the birds outside. For instance, you can take a bagel and cover it in honey then roll it in birdseed, then tie a string through the hole of the bagel and hang it from a lower limb of a tree. Or you can use an empty egg carton and take the top lid completely off, then poke holes in all four corners so you can tie string through them for hanging, then simply fill the egg pockets with birdseed and hang outside. However, you can also use stale bread, by using cookie cutters to cut out images, then poke a hole through the bread, insert and tie a string through the hole and hang them from the tree limbs. On the other hand, maybe you have an empty paper towel of toilet paper roll that you would like to use. Simply insert a long piece of string through the paper roll, making sure that there is enough string to go all the way through and enough to hang. Then simply lay out some wax paper to catch any mess and smear honey on the paper roll then sprinkle your birdseed onto it. Remember that small birdseed will more than likely stay on this type of homemade bird feeder and that larger seeds are more apt to fall onto the ground. Always keep in mind that honey is fatal to hummingbirds so do not use it when feeding these birds, also corn meal or lard should be added to peanut butter to keep the birds from choking on it.

Some ideas for bird feed are:

1. Unsalted and unbuttered popcorn

2. Raisins

3. Blueberries and other fruits

4. Sunflower seed

5. Shelled plain peanuts

6. Cracked corn

7. Mealworms

8. Pine cones with honey and seeds

Many people have found these as well as many other types of in home items to use while fashioning their own homemade bird feeders, as they have found great joy in making something themselves while also doing a good deed for the birds they feed.


Creating a Homemade Birdfeeder

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Platform Bird Feeders Are Very Versatile

!: Platform Bird Feeders Are Very Versatile

A platform bird feeder is the easiest feeder to have for it efficiently feeds the greatest number of birds, either on short legs right on the ground, or hanging up off the ground. It is simply a flat tray with short sides that has either short legs or a hanging wire. Some models come with both.

For anyone who is just getting started with feeding birds, platform bird feeders are a great way to begin. Birds find their food by seeing it and by seeing other birds feeding. An open tray is easy to see and easy to use. The larger the feeder, the more birds can feed at a time. It is fine to offer food directly on the ground, but then it is necessary to clean up the left over debris. Instead of throwing seed directly on the ground, there are many advantages to using a platform bird feeder on short legs. The ground feeders such as doves, cardinals, towhees, juncos, quail, mourning doves, thrushes, etc. will quickly learn to eat from it and the seed will stay cleaner and dryer as most platform bird feeders have a screen bottom. Most of the empty hulls will be left in the platform feeder for easy cleanup. When using a ground feeder, be sure to place it at least ten feet from any shrubs or other protective plants that could hide an approaching cat.

Platform bird feeders can also be hung. They are easy for birds to use, easy to add seed and kitchen scraps to and will attract a wide variety of birds such as blackbirds, bluebirds, nuthatches, jays, tanagers, titmice, woodpeckers, finches, doves, chickadees and cardinals. With a screened bottom, these are even visited regularly during a rain storm for they drain quickly and dry quickly when the sun comes out. There are even models that are covered which are especially useful in areas that get snow. Hanging platform feeders can easily be used to offer an assortment of foods that are out of reach of dogs, raccoons, squirrels, etc. Especially during the winter when natural food is scarce, platform bird feeders are perfect to offer an assortment of kitchen leftovers such as scraps of bread, cake, biscuits and pancakes, as well as cooked oatmeal, farina and other cereals.

Most birds also enjoy left over mild cheeses, fruit, crackers, pasta, cornmeal, nuts, popcorn, cooked meat fat and clean eggshells. There are lots of choices. Don't throw away those small leftovers or over ripe fruit. Give them to the birds. A hanging platform feeder is perfect for this. Remember, birds also love peanut butter. Mix it with some cornmeal and it will go further. If you don't have a place to hang a platform bird feeder, it is fine to put leftovers in a ground feeder, but know that overnight it will probably be cleaned out by the local four legged night creatures.

Platform bird feeders are very easy to fill and keep clean. They also make it easy to view and photograph birds without the bird feeder getting in the way. There are however, two significant drawbacks to these feeders. If there are squirrels in the area, this quickly becomes their own feeding table unless the feeder is hung using baffles for protection. Also, the seed is not protected from rain, snow and wind. During times of bad weather, it is a good idea to put out only enough food and seed to last for one day.


Platform Bird Feeders Are Very Versatile

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Bird Feeders - Squirrel Proof Solutions

!: Bird Feeders - Squirrel Proof Solutions

Many people enjoy putting out birdseed for their feathered neighbors. However, squirrels also are attracted to the food and squirrels, like many animals, are very resourceful and determined when it comes to securing food. Their ability to jump and climb allows them to easily get into bird feeders, even those that people have tried to strategically place out of their reach. Putting out separate squirrel feeders that are conveniently located for them also does not prevent them from raiding bird feeders. Bird lovers have, in turn, over the years devised better feeders. Primary bird feeders squirrel proof strategies are to:

Put bird feeders away from trees or branches within jumping distance for squirrels. This is often done by mounting feeders on poles that are set in or on the ground. Of course, this presents a new problem: the squirrels can try to climb the bird feeder poles! A couple of things can be done to make it hard for the squirrels to climb up to the feeder. Some people have tried adding vaseline to a pole to make it too slippery to climb, but this isn't effective for long and is certainly messy. PVC piping has also been used to support pole-mounted feeders since its slick surface is hard to climb.

Add physical barriers like squirrel baffles to a bird feeder pole and/or add wire caging around the feeder housing. Squirrel baffles are commonly used to deter the critters from climbing up the pole for a pole-mounted feeder since they are cheap. These tend to be only partially effective by themselves, though. You would think that wire cages around tubular feeders would keep the squirrels from being able to reach the birdseed. These are not as attractive aesthetically, which is annoying if you would like to photograph your bird buddies. The wire cages can also be defeated by persistent squirrels. If you don't believe me, just try a quick search on YouTube for bird feeders squirrel proof.

Use feeders with weight sensors. Sophisticated bird feeders featuring weight sensitive perches have also been introduced. These can sense the weight of a squirrel and respond by closing feed ports or tipping or spinning the feeder. Closing the ports makes it hard for a squirrel to steal birdseed and tipping or spinning motions make it hard for a squirrel to stay mounted on the feeder. Closing access ports is not always as effective as it sounds, however, since squirrels can figure out how to swing these models sideways to shake the seeds out. Again, squirrels like other animals are very determined when it comes to securing food! Feeders that are designed to spin when the weight of a squirrel is detected can effectively drive the squirrel off without harming it. These are also more expensive to buy, but can be worth it in savings on birdseed and aggravation. Many people also like watching the squirrels take a spin on the feeder!


Bird Feeders - Squirrel Proof Solutions

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Droll Yankees YCPW180 Whipper Bird Feeder, Dark Blue

!: Saving Droll Yankees YCPW180 Whipper Bird Feeder, Dark Blue Review

Brand : Droll Yankees | Rate : | Price : $73.23
Post Date : Oct 19, 2011 03:36:21 | Usually ships in 24 hours


  • Allows song birds including cardinals to eat but NOT squirrels
  • Special perch expels squirrels when they try to get at the bird seed
  • Easy to fill - feeds all types of wild bird seed
  • Metal cap and base resists squirrel damage
  • Large capacity - holds about 5 lbs of seed

More Specification..!!

Droll Yankees YCPW180 Whipper Bird Feeder, Dark Blue

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