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Peanut Bird Feeders that Rock
Give birds peanuts… because variety is the spice of life!
Be it shelled or whole peanuts, birds love them and for good reason. They pack a real punch for nutrition and likely for taste, but you’d have to ask a bird on that one.Simply put, Calories = Energy, so especially for cold weather feeding, peanut bird feeders are always a good bet. That energy is what keeps birds warm overnight. Ever wonder why many resident birds feed from dawn till dusk? The goal is to store enough energy to make it through a frigid night.
The Wreath Peanut Feeder above is meant for whole peanuts, but it’s easy to pop a suet ball or two inside for more variety. The design is very bird-friendly and even lends itself for other options.
In early spring, it’s ideal for nesting materials. Start saving your pet’s hair from their brush now. Decorative mosses and feathers are also prime materials for nest construction by most of the usual suspects. Steer clear of dryer lint- though it may seem soft & fluffy, it contains synthetic material that’s just not found in a birds’ world.
Say you could do without the mess of peanuts in the shell? Opt for a feeder that’s made for shelled peanuts. Most of these will accommodate black oil sunflower seed so you can still change it up, enticing more birds to your place.
The large capacity mesh design offers lots of all-over feeding space. Most styles also lend themselves to doing the nest materials in spring. Adding suet may not work as well in shelled peanut bird feeders as there’s nothing to hold it at the outer wall for easy access – though you’ll likely be able to do black oil sunflower for variety.
Regardless if shelled, or peanuts in the shell, birds will flock for this tasty treat year-round. Expect woodpeckers, jays, titmice, chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds and others at shelled peanuts. Expect squirrels at all peanut feeders… in which case a baffle is highly recommended 🙂
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National Cat Appreciation Day? Cat Birdhouses of Course!
They say it’s National Cat Appreciation Day… so here’s a favorite cat birdhouse! Partial to tuxedos, he’s the most expressive and birds find him a cozy roost during the off-season. There’s tabbies in orange or grey, and a Siamese or two, plus some killer ceramic cat birdhouses which can be fashioned after your own furry friend.
There’s a lot of bird fanatics out there who’d rather NOT see a day dedicated to felines as the only cat they may find attractive is a dead one 🙁
Yes, it’s one of the oldest arguments out there – but so easy to see both sides of the controversy if you love cats and happen to feed birds… keep your cat inside!
The problem with feral populations is breeding, yet so many (bird fanatics) are opposed to the famous TNR (trap-neuter-return) strategy. They insist it doesn’t work, and the only means viable is removal (even going to extremes such as poisoning). But they’re sadly misinformed! Because simply removing cats from a feral colony creates a vacuum where more magically appear to take their place.
Managed colonies prevent breeding, and cats are for the most part well-kept, with provisions of food and shelter. After all and as always, humans are undoubtedly responsible for the messy situation to begin with. That’s all we’ll say here, and thankfully comments are closed because the heated debate will linger forever with some very nasty remarks from both sides… seen it before!
As for our own guys: Shmitty is 20+ years old and mostly due to being an indoor cat, the girls are 16+, and Fatty, the ex-feral has got be at least 14 years old. They’re basically content (and safe) seeing the great outdoors and especially bird watching via screened porch. Unfortunately the neighbor’s 3 are constantly in our yard 🙁
Oh yeah… those cat birdhouses; what better gift for the crazy cat lady in all of us?
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Handle the Crowds with Innovative Finch Feeders
So many birds yet so few perches… it’s standing room only with no room at the bird feeder! Depending on the season, this happens often, especially with goldfinches in early fall.What do ya do when you can’t accommodate all your yellow feathered friends? Several options to feed lots of goldfinches at once might include adding a new finch feeder and/or hanging a few inexpensive thistle socks.
Standard perches aren’t the only way birds get seed at feeders; fun spirals like the one at left and “all-over” screen feeders shown below actually offer birds more space at the dinner table!
Because of their late nesting season, goldfinches abound in late summer/early fall, but they’re molting process begins with dull, olive-drab winter feathers appearing. Should other finches who enjoy thistle (or nyjer) seed be hogging feeders, there’s a cool upside-down model designed just for the goldfinch.
Some of these other birds at finch feeders might include redpolls, pine siskins, house finches and more, so competition can get thick, and the sweet yellow ones really don’t compete much at feeders.
An economical way to give everyone a fair share is with thistle socks. The hanging mesh thistle feeders typically come in white, yellow or black , with some red ones fancied up for holiday. So popular nowadays, you may even see them in your grocery store’s bird section!
Two other great things about feeding finches thistle seed is that it won’t germinate to cause weeds, and squirrels usually leave these feeders in peace!
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