Feeding the Wee Birds

Not only being a wannabe gardner but also Scottish, I'm always looking out for the cheapest options to do 'things' which should be in every garden.

I've just come up with my own 'Small Bird-Feeder',instead of buying the normal stuff which is on the market. I've tried this out for a week now, and the wee birds love it.

All you need are things which you will have at home, or in your garden storeroom.

1. A small flowerpot

2. An flowerpot saucer

3. A threaded bar, long bolt, or a piece of thin tube.

4. 2 nuts, 2 washers

5. A piece of string or gardening twine.

1. Make a hole in the saucer.

2. Push bolt, or tube through the hole and fix under the saucer.

3. Fix a point on the tube where the flowepot should hang, leaving enough room for the wee birds to get underneath.

4. Push the string through the tube, and fix to the bottom of the saucer.

5. Hang flowerpot on the bolt or tube.

6. Hang high enough so that you can fill it with seed, but high enough to keep away from cats, (and squirrels).

Here's a closer view.

This bird feeder is basically free, since you probably have these things which will just be sitting around all winter doing nothing anyway, and feeding the wee birds gives them at least something useful to do.


Wintermoor

.......and a little more life to do it in :)

Very good idea Barry - I'd make it if I didn't already have feeders (and if I had a threaded bar/long bolt.........etc)

But too high for squirrels, cummon man, when did you last see a squirrel? The last time I did it was in the top of my tallest tree (having just raided my feeders :()

Know what you mean though, I'm trying to outwit mine at the moment - hence the bitter response LOL

You can also fit it together with a bit of thin tubing, such as that for an aquarium pump, or aerator.

My MIL had a problem with squrrels at her bird feeders, so I hung them from a tree, with a 2 metre piece of barbed wire. The feeder was therefore hanging 2 metres below the lowest branch, and was about 2 metres above the ground. She just needed a wee ladder to get up to it and refill it, and the squirrels were not willing to run, or slide down the barbed wire.... OUCH!!!


Wintermoor

Brilliant idea - that might work for me off one of my trees.
Just have to go and filch some wire now ;)

Wintermoor, those are great ideas! I must try them both.

Wintermoor, you neglected to add that you grow your own birdfood during the summer to store for later use :)

LOL Kathy I was thinking that and didn't write it :D

I'm just wondering what will grow below this feeder in the spring, when the wee birds drop a seed or two.

I hope I can recognise it before the cops do ;-)


*feeding the wee (jail) birds*

Wintermoor

ROFL :-)

Just pop a greenhouse over it in the spring, that'll guard the plants from prying eyes
:O

Now, that sounds like experience talking ;-)


Wintermoor

You tryin' ter get me inter trubble buddie???

Great idea Wintermoor, sounds simple to make.

Philomel: No, but I'll take your advice anyway :-D

BAA: Yes they are easy to make, after I'd collected the bits I needed, it only took 5 minutes. The birds love it and whizz around it all day. When I come out to try to take a photo of them, they all buzz off, and don't come back till I'm securely back indoors. I think I'll hang it inside the door.


Wintermoor

You'll be needing instructions for building a hide now then:
hyperlink
:)


(My hides the best of all - armchair by the patio doors - need a long lens though)

Wintermoor, what will grow under the feeder? WEEDS (crabgrass mostly if your bought seed mix is like ours)