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glass bird feeder is built to last
Although wood is good for birdhouses, it’s not always best for feeders because squirrels chew wood! Over time wood will weather, sometimes nicely-sometimes not depending on the quality. Wood is porous and therefore harbors bacteria and mold… not good for birds. Copper, glass, or recycled plastic provides a slick surface that’s more resistant to bacteria, much easier to clean and way better for the birds.A stained glass bird feeder like this hopper model allows for various seed mixes. It won’t ever fade, warp or rust, and it’s chew-proof by squirrels. Handcrafted in the USA, it’s available in about eight different colors, and features a hand hammered copper roof.
What’s the best kind feeder to get when starting out? It’s simply got to be the one you will maintain. Basic black oil sunflower is a popular seed that many species enjoy. If you don’t care for the hulls or mess below feeders – opt for sunflower hearts or a “no-waste” mix. These cost a little more, but every morsel is consumed, no messy ground waste below feeders! Cheap seed with fillers (like milo and millet) will end up on the ground, and in damp or humid conditions, creates another breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Ground feeding birds like cardinals, towhees and juncos will sift through this junk looking for a bite to eat. Yuck!
If the only feeder you’re up to maintaining is a simple bowl, that’s okay too. Just keep it clean and keep food fresh… and they wi
ll come! And don’t forget to add a water source, a shallow bowl or plant saucer with fresh water creates a refuge on hot summer days! -
a whopper of hopper bird feeders
This past winter it seemed like spring was taking forever. Ease up – too much bird food, we’re going through this stuff like water! Once it warms up the birds will eat less, right? Wrong! It seems we’re going through just as much seed now as we did in when it was cold? Sure a few unwelcome grackles and starlings put a dent in the supply, but omg… seems like bumper crops of cardinals, and chickadees, and titmice, and woodpeckers, and nuthatches, and finches, and well, you get the picture.Last summer the drought was to blame for vanishing natural food sources, but we’ve had rain galore in the Southeast. Something I’d never witnessed last year: a male cardinal feeding his fledgeling from the hopper bird feeder onto the ground, back to the feeder, and back to the baby below. It was a pretty cool sight, but also sad in a way. He would’ve been teaching that baby how to forage and find food in the wild… had it all not shriveled up 🙁
That’s why it gets me in the gut sometimes when folks say “I don’t feed the birds in summer”. It’s got to be up there with turning the birdbath over for winter. Wild birds are wild indeed, if a food source disappears, they’ll move on to find another. Just seems once you’ve attracted them with feeders or bird baths, it should be a consistent source. Call me the crazy bird lady!
Oh yeah, and the whopper of Hopper Bird Feeders? This durable cedar model with ample perching space offers two different seed mixes for maximum bird attraction! A large seven quart capacity and two removable seed trays makes it easy to clean and fill. Great quality, made in the USA makes it last too!
- Bird Feeders, Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder, Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders, Tube Bird Feeder, Uncategorized, Wild Bird Feeders
super squirrel proof bird feeders
If you’re a little bird-crazy like us, keeping feeders filled is a priority that takes time – in fact it’s a daily chore lately due to some bully birds hanging around the yard. Only filling feeders about one quarter of capacity, because no matter what’s offered… it’s gone in a few hours! And we’re not even talking squirrels here… grackles, starlings and doves are the culprits. Isn’t it time for them to move on yet?Because squirrels are enough menace in their own right, every single bird feeder has a baffle on it, even bluebird houses have baffles to protect nests from curious paws. But outwitting the critters really isn’t as difficult as some may think. Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders with cages like this are very effective against both squirrels and larger, less desirable birds. Some of the caged feeders are let’s say, kind of cheesy, but this large capacity model is super quality and made in the USA. With a big three gallon capacity, and built in seed tray to catch waste, this super squirrel-resistant feeder even has an innovative design that makes it simple to fill and clean. The PVC feeder tube will never yellow like some of the acrylic tubes, and stainless steel feeder ports retain their shiny new look.
Don’t get us wrong… we feed the squirrels too, but somehow that’s never enough either. May be time to look into one of these for our own yard? And although a bit overboard with our wildlife habitat, that’s not really us feeding this furry friend – although it is kinda cute!
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