Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Feed the birds, tuppence a bag...#2 , 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
I think I've had the hourglass feeder 3 years and the finch feeder 2, although it may be longer for both than that. The multi-seed feeder has only been up for the past week, so I'm still experimenting with it. Feeding millet has attracted far too many english sparrows (but also other sparrows), and when I mixed the mostly-millet blend with safflower, the sparrows emptied the feeder quickly and tossed most of the safflower onto the patio (where juncos and doves have been eating it). So I refilled with the millet blend, hoping that its few sunflower seeds won't tempt the squirrels (not like they don't have lots of other choices!). It holds 4 pounds, and at the current rate I think the birds could go through 10 pounds a week... so it may not stay constantly full, LOL.

Here's my hourglass no-no feeder (rings are big enough for cardinals to perch, also attracts woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, song sparrows, blue jays, wrens... I don't think there's a bird I know of other than hummingbirds around here that won't eat sunflower seed!). It holds 4 to 5 quarts of BOS (black oil sunflower), so in winter when we get more "customers" I fill it probably once a week, maybe more often in bad weather.