Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Hummingbird/Oriole feeders-planning for next year : ), 1 by pollengarden

pollengarden wrote:
I can't use hanging feeders here because of the wind. These are the feeders I use:
Top-"12 O'clock" - 8 oz capacity window-mount feeder by Aspects, hinged-top, easy clean. Doesn't draw as many birds as the next one:
Clockwise, "1:30" - 8 oz capacity window-mount feeder by Perky Pet. My favorite feeder because it brings the birds up close, but the tongs that hold it together are fragile and tend to break and it isn't the easiest feeder to clean. I use the small window-mount feeders early in the season when I have very few birds.
Right, "3:00" - This is an old Perky Pet feeder with a glass bottle. The base is/was difficult to clean, so I popped out the yellow flowers and use it as an Oriole/finch feeder and wasp trap. It is a hanging feeder, I have to balance it on top of a post.
Clockwise, "5:00" - 2 cup capacity feeder by First Nature, Walmart 2009. My 2nd-favorite feeder. It is easy clean, but the post-mount feature isn't as secure as I'd like. This is the feeder I put out when I start to get more birds than the little window-mounts can handle.
Clockwise, "7:00" - 4 cup capacity feeder by First Nature, Walmart 2010. Larger capacity version of 2009, disassembled to show how it can be cleaned. This feeder is too big for my yard, I don't get that many birds - I take it with me for weekends in the mountains where there are more hummers (and bears - I have to be careful how I hang it).
Left, "9:00" - Oasis saucer by Perky Pet - this was apparently the feeder that traps and kills Hummingbirds. I solved the problem by drilling out the holes from perpendicular tubes to angled slots. Not my favorite feeder for other reasons: It is hard to refill without spilling, then I have to attach guide wires to it to keep it from swinging, and it starts to freeze sooner than other shapes. But being able to watch the hummingbirds beaks & tongues from below is pretty cool, and it is easy to clean. I didn't bother putting it out this year. PS: I never had a Hummingbird get stuck - I drilled out the holes before I used it the first time.


This message was edited Nov 7, 2010 9:34 AM