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Groovy bird feeder bracket lets you expand an existing garden pole
You can now add additional feeders or even a small hanging bath without adding another garden pole to the landscape. The simple quick-connect system installs in seconds on any one inch standard garden pole. Made in the USA of heavy duty powder coat steel, this cool bird feeder bracket holds up to ten pounds.
Ideal for adding a suet or hummingbird feeder, mealworm dish, thistle sock, or even a smaller bird bath to entice feathered friends! Since variety is the spice of life, expanding offerings on your existing pole is simple with this bird feeder bracket. It lets you change things up with seasons for maximum bird attraction too. Replace fruit & jelly feeders in winter with whole or shelled peanuts, or consider an extra suet feeder to help resident birds with their need for additional fat and calories during frigid weather.
Measuring two feet in length, the innovative curved branch design with leaves offers several options for placement of any new items. In no time at all, birds will flock to this new pole hanger to check out their new goodies!
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It can’t be time for the ant moat yet?
Dry, dry, dry, it’s been a hot and dry start to summer in the Southeast, which means crawlies of all sorts are already seeking moisture. Pastures are starting to turn crispy as the lush grasses of spring fade away. Sticky nectar solutions we use to lure hummingbirds are always a major attraction for ants, who can become a real nuisance to birds and humans. The tiny sprites just don’t like ants in their nectar… period!Not only for hummingbird feeders, you can protect oriole, butterfly, and fruit & jelly feeders easily with an ant moat. It will fend off pesky ants by blocking their path with water – because ants can’t swim. The vessel must have water to function properly! No water-no moat-get ants 🙁
Another option is to dab some petroleum jelly on the hook or bracket of the feeder. This works okay for a bit… until the heat melts it and makes a mess. You’d want to be sure nothing drips into the nectar as well.
Lots of hummingbird activity in the beginning of the season seems to have slowed, and even has folks asking where they are? Because flowers and vines are still offering food sources by way of nectar, they’ll always be the first and most natural choice. Due to the harsh winter and late spring, blooms don’t seem to coincide with the time! Our cactus which usually flowers in may, is now in full bloom one month later. than normal. But come July when everything has shriveled, hummingbird activity is sure to increase once again at feeders, so don’t take them down, and do keep nectar fresh.
Pouring too much of that nectar down the drain? First, don’t fill feeders to capacity, and do try the home-made sugar water solution. It’s perfect, and we think hummingbirds prefer it over commercial mixes! No red dye needed either. This simple recipe? 1 cup plain table sugar to 4 cups water… that’s it! Boil just one cup of water to dissolve sugar, add three cups cold water, stir well… and you’re ready to fill. Store unused nectar in the fridge f
or up to two weeks.May the tiny sprites bring a smile upon your face, and may you see lots of buzzing activity around your feeders this season!
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There’s more than one use for a squirrel baffle
… They’re not just for feeders!That’s mom. bluebird feeding nestlings as dad looks on from his favorite perch – sorry about the poor photo quality. The houses appear closer than they really are, and there are two schools of thought on this: Pairing houses 10-15 feet apart will sometimes eliminate competition for the nest box, while the other is that bluebird houses should be at least 100 feet apart as they’re very territorial birds.
But this setup has seemed to work well in our yard over the years, as titmice or chickadees claim the wooden box, while bluebirds always go to the Gilbertson first. That’s actually a heat shield wrapped around the house, as temperatures were sweltering during the blue’s last brood. One of those car windshield heat deflectors… easy to cut and works perfectly!
Not only for feeders, a squirrel baffle offers protection for eggs and nestlings. Raccoons and squirrels are less likely to mess with babies inside a house if they’re baffled. Curiously puzzled and blocked! In all sizes and shapes, for poles, posts, or hanging, squirrel baffles work when used correctly. This entails sizing up any “horizontal launch point” which is just making sure the furry acrobats can’t jump sideways from anything that would allow access to the house or feeder. Remember the crafty critters’ sideways jumping capability is about ten feet!
Birding Tips, Information & News
