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Hacks for a Bird Feeder Bracket
Versatility is really the name of the game when it comes to wild bird feeding accessories. For any investment, you want it to last and you want it for year-round use (should resident birds stick around your locale).Well, these bird feeder brackets aren’t just for feeders! Several types of quality hardware brackets offer options to entice birds year round; with food in winter or fresh water in sweltering heat.
This long-reach deck-mounted bracket holds a mister out over the front porch in summer. The arm swivels making it simple to redirect the water every few days. The garden below has grown amazingly lush, and birds & butterflies both adore the mister’s gentle spray. Adult birds will fly through soaking up water in their wings and return to the nest cooling off babies. Pretty cool really… both literally and figuratively!
Round Bird Feeder Brackets like these also attach to a deck or porch rail. If the kitchen sink happens to be at a window overlooking the deck- then bam… you’ve got the ultimate window feeder too! The bracket’s perfect for a birdbath as well. No that’s not a potato, it’s a large rock used to weight down the copper bowl. Any idea how many people ask if that’s a potato?
There are also brackets you can easily attach to an existing pole system. The extra arm allows for hanging 2 or 3 more feeders (or a bird bath).
Just because something is packaged/labeled a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t use it for something else. Wild bird feeding can include trial & error whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for years. Squirrels raiding the feeder? Move it and learn about baffles. No takers in your birdbath? Change the water more often and add some rocks for easy footing. Finches not eating thistle seed? Change it… it’s likely old & stale or worse, moldy. Stuff like this makes a world of difference to birds and your bird-watching enjoyment!
Experimenting and being innovative is part of the fun… because when you’re successful, the rewards are so worth the time & effort! Just feed the birds for some additional happiness in your world. See below (from the Auk-ward)
for solid proof 🙂 -
Instant Set-Up Bird Feeder Brackets
Although we’d rather post pretty bird images, our goal is to get more folks involved with backyard birding. It’s an awesome hobby and one that’s addictive too. Here’s a good place to start:So maybe you’re thinking about feeding the birds? But when surveying the yard for good spots to hang a feeder… there really aren’t any. A branch would work if you have suitable trees – but beware of crafty squirrels!
If the yard is mostly open, a bird feeder bracket set like this is ideal for an instant oasis to entice feathered friends. It provides a solid & sturdy spot with room to grow. The water dish and tray are included, the latter offering a spot for just about anything you’d like to offer. Peanuts, suet & nuggets, mealworms (if you’re so inclined), even fruit in spring and summer for migratory birds. Any assortment of feeders could hang here, and they’d be most welcome by resident fliers in winter. These include seed, suet, & peanut feeders and thistle/nyjer feeders for finches. Adding a baffle to the main pole will keep squirrels at bay too… believe it or not!
Smaller scale? A simple deck-mount bracket might be the perfect answer. Especially if there’s a good view from the kitchen or breakfast area. The clamp-on hardware won’t harm deck rails, and a nice plant saucer works great for the dish. This can even be converted to a bath in summer, shallow pans are the perfect depth for birds to bathe and wade comfortably.Another complete bird feeding station includes the baffle. As long as squirrels can’t jump sideways from something to gain access- they’ll never make it past this baffle! We use this one at home and can absolutely confirm squirrel failure!
With all the rain in Southeast lately, the ground has become overly saturated. The auger or ground screw on this set keeps feeder stations from looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa! We have some of those too 🙁 The topper also comes with 4 brackets for room to grow. It’s a sturdy set that lasts for life.During winter, natural food sources become scarce as insects have died off and berries are gone. Feeders and heated baths help birds not only survive-but thrive in frigid weather. Birds bring gardens to life on the dullest winter days, there’s nothing better than hearing birdsong or seeing the vivid red of a cardinal in the yard. Try for yourself and see! Okay, maybe just one pretty bluebird 🙂
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To the Sad Little Friend on the Bird Feeder Bracket
You don’t look well little finch, so sorry but I can’t feed you anymore 🙁Every garden pole and bird feeder bracket now sit empty, except for the single bird perched there wondering “what’s happened to my food?”
The best intentions: Down, all of the feeders have been removed in hopes of population disbursement, encouraging the birds to move on. To an avid backyard birder this is heart-wrenching, especially during nesting season and migration. Disease has been confirmed and is being spread through feeders. Even the cleanest set-up won’t stop the spread of salmonella, respiratory, or air-born diseases in birds once its taken hold. Bleached and sparkly clean feeders mean nothing since it takes only one infected bird to start the cycle again.
Safety’s not always in numbers: Finches and pine siskins tend to travel and congregate in large groups. Even though there’s ample feeding stations to accommodate them, they’re more susceptible to the spread of respiratory disease or bacterial infection when large groups feed together.
Course of action: Obligated to do the right thing because attracting birds with feeders brings with it a responsibility to those birds. First and foremost is to remove all feeders. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center lists 4 diseases and 8 precautionary steps to keep disease at bay. It will be about two weeks before the feeders are placed for use again. The ground’s been raked clean, and feeders will be sanitized with 10% bleach solution.
The sight of a sickly bird is fairly obvious if you notice the signs. Lethargic and almost easy to catch, ruffled, unkept feathers, puffed out and sometimes shaking (even though it’s not cold), and swollen eyes or eyelids. They have trouble eating and fly slowly. Upon seeing a dead pine siskin with no signs of trauma last week, the thought of disease had entered my mind. Another the next day, and then a dead goldfinch in full summer breeding plumage confirmed the realization that I’m not helping the birds… but rather killing them 🙁
So now, I’m not sure who’s more upset? The frantic cardinals perching on empty poles and feeder brackets, the confused nuthatches and chickadees who are nesting and already have clutches, or myself, the one responsible for creating the mess? Woe is me, and what a rotten way to start the week 🙁
Birding Tips, Information & News
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