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a swell idea for window bird feeders
When one’s feeding backyard birds, the objective is usually to see those birds! If you’re getting on up there in years, and your eyesight’s not so great (like me)… keeping a pair of binoculars near the main watching window is always convenient.Squirrels, blasted squirrels always seem to find and conquer anything that doesn’t have a baffle on it. One lousy window bird feeder (that’s actually mounted on the deck rail) for seeing birds close-up, always seems to have a squirrel in it! Little pigs are even fed, and have their own feeders with which to contend, but alas… it’s never enough.
Well, this new handy dandy window feeder just might do the trick! With an innovative cage for keeping squirrels out, the birds may just be able to eat in peace… where I can actually see them sans the binoculars. Can’t wait to fill ‘er up and try this one on for size! -
how would window bird feeders ever be versatile?
Because with The Great Hang Up, you can turn most smaller hanging feeders into window bird feeders. Although it may not look like much, this innovative window hook holds up to three pounds securely. It leaves options wide open for attracting avian 
friends… up close and personal, with the hook facing both up or downwards.The Mod Oval shown here would be great as a window feeder, offering a full view of dining birds.
Come to think of it, a window birdbath would be fantastic too! Since fresh water is a great way to entice birds, small dish-type feeders (with no drainage) would serve this purpose well. The Glass Globe feeder
is versatile enough to fit the bill. Accommodating seed mixes, suet & nuggets, peanuts, even fruit in summer, plain old water is an excellent option as well. Available in ruby red or lime green… just think of the possibilities!Aside from the awesome viewing opportunities, here’s another reason why window bird feeders are good – location, or placement is important for birds’ safety. According to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, placing a feeder within three feet (or more than thirty feet) from windows greatly helps to prevent window strikes. They say billions of birds die each year from these fatal crashes. Using the above reference for feeder placement will not afford birds enough room for gaining speed and crashing into the window.
So think outside the box because it doesn’t have to actually say “window feeder” to be one!
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checking out window bird feeders for baby
It’s not too far of a flight, from the feeders over to the tree bearing the cavity where her babies were raised. Mama nuthatch grabs sunflower hearts quickly feeding her newly fledged babies.It’s been a really dry, really hot summer thus far. Early July temps feel like the end of August and everything is already parched! More so than aesthetics, this brutal weather has a profound effect on wildlife, including resourceful birds.
More so than usual, roadkill has been rampant, likely many young venturing further out of normal range in search of food and water. Even wild birds do what they need to in order to keep babies fat & happy.
In all the years of backyard birding, I’ve never seen such activity at feeders in the thick of summer (other than nasty common grackles). Natural food sources have been depleted by drought and high temperatures… even the bugs that bug us at dusk are fewer than usual. Gnats and mosquitoes are not as bad, even the pesky fly may have taken a hiatus!
Because of these conditions, adult birds are taking full advantage of backyard feeders… and any kind at that! An adult cardinal was grabbing seed from a platform feeder and passing it along to his baby on the ground below. An adult thrasher was pecking through squirrel mix on the ground to feed her baby in the back along the tree line. This mama nuthatch took about fifteen trips from our window bird feeders over to the familiar tree where eggs were laid and chicks hatched. Scurrying to feed six newly fledged birds, the bird feeders containing sunflower hearts proved to be most welcome.
If you typically feed wild birds, but don’t think it’s necessary in summer… think again! Lots of babies out there with busy parents in search of food to raise their young. Please feed the birds and always, always offer a fresh water source. As simple as a pan of water, or a saucer from an old garden pot will do the trick just fine.
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