Show Us your Bird Feeders, Vol. 9

Here's another shot showing the feeder in the cage, platform, etc.

Nancy

Nancy...it looks like the birds have found you!!

I told DH the other day I wish they would make a feeder that wouldn't freeze up in the cold wet weather! I get so sick of having to dump and clean out feeders due to freezing rain or ice. Last night I went out and brought in all the feeders, trays and dishes because the forecast was calling for 4 inches of snow. What a hassle since the snow never appeared. Anyway I got them all back out before daylight and all is well in the bird world here!! LOL!

These cheapy feeders have become my favorites as far as ease of cleaning is concerned. I had them for several months before I discovered the bottom can be removed. I don't even use the screws on the bottom anymore as they stay in place without them. Quick and easy!!

Well where the heck do you find these good cheap feeders? I just find BAD cheap feeders! LOL

You get used to bringing them all in after awhile Rose...really!

Nanny...I got these at our feed store but I have seen them at Wally World as well as many other stores that sell bird feeders. I have seen them as cheap as 12.00!

I am such a dunce that it never occured to me to bring the feeders in at night whan the weather is bad. I've only been doing this now for over a year! Talk about "duh"!!

I look at my wally world but just junk...gotta find a feed store around here.

Except for what is on the platform feeder I have to bring everything in everynight year round. The dinnerbell with safflower seeds only comes in when it rains/snows. Those pesky coons!

OMG you bring in your feeders?? What a chore. No way I'm gonna do that. You guys are *dedicated*!

yep!! I learned the hard way after having several suet feeders torn a part overnight....and anything with BOSS strewn over the yard, and during summer they will drain the humming bird feeders if left out.

I only bring mine in if I think the feeders will get clogged or wet due to weather...I don't have a problem with critters.

Okay not a feeder but a pic of my heated water bowl...water is so important too during the winter!

Cute one Nanny...water is just as important as feed! The birds are flocking to our water sources as everything is froze up here.

nanny - that's why I have baffles and a specific spot for the feeders so nothing can reach them :) I realize not eveyone has that "sweet spot" in the yard, or the ability to prevent jumpers. I now know not to plant new trees in certain spots or it'll mess up my system!! :)

nanny....we have to bring in the suet feeders too or they get ripped up by raccoons......or they flat out disappear! For some reason, they don't bother with the seed/nut feeders and the platform feeder is in the middle of the yard on a slim, greased pole and they can't scale it. DH submerged a support pole into the grass so that we can lift it out late spring and put a cap on it for the summer. I also take in the feeders if we are expecting hard rain. I can tuck them under the grill cover with only minor pilfering from the little ground critters. I am using a heated bird bath for the first time this winter... we haven't really had cold weather yet but everybody seems to really enjoy it so far. It is mounted on my deck where I can get a good look from the kitchen window. I know it will pay off as we get further into winter. I can't wait!
dellrose...you are so lucky that you don't have to deal with critters; it can be a real challenge!

nanny...tell me about the rock that is in your bird bath. do the birds sit on it? it never occurred to me to do that.....

Well I just got my bowl fixed up a couple weeks back...I added that rock yesterday so I just got my first birds in it today. A couple of the gold finch did sit there today while checking it out!

Evie the raccoons climb up the trees and take and lift the whole thing hooks, feeder, baffles up & take it down! LOL

My pole system with the platform has a raccoon baffle and not within jumping distance for the squirrels.

Squirrel trying to go up the pole with raccoon baffle!

This one is no longer with us(the squirrel)...very persistent! lol

This is one of my setup, same as last year. Niger in the tube feeder, very popular, but when it's rains heavily, it's a problem. The fancy one I only use in winter, I fill it with BOSS. And I have another big one I use for BOSS hanging in the tree. The copper feeder is for a mix seeds, I rotate, the use of seeds in that one.

This is the one in the tree, I fill with BOSS.

This one I made last year for peanuts, but the grid is to big, and now use it for suet. Very popular with WP

My platform feeder, a large on deck and a small in front of my living room window, on a table.

This log cabin is at the far end of the yard, I fill with BOSS, but the squirrel has taken it over, which is fine because it keeps him away from the ones close to the house. Chickadee and BlueJays will use it too. And have another suet cage for Chickadee and WP.

well that squirrel looks really cute there!

I don't take my feeders in either.
I don't have a problem in the winter with the raccoons. I have never had one in my yard when there was snow.
They may show up if the temperature rises but they'll just pick at whatever's on the ground. I have a plugged in bird bath that I have on a small plastic table. That's just to keep it above the snow. Around the end of March or so I set it on the ground. That's only because if the raccond DID show up, they won't knock it off the table to get at the water.

Nancy

Hmmm, your beginning to make me worry. I'm getting a heated pedestal bird bath for Christmas. Until recently I never saw raccoons in the yard but when I did there were 2 very large ones.

depending on how heavy it is, they could pull it over pelle. You will be providing an easy water source during winter. It may draw animals in that you hadn't considered. That is why if I get a "real" bird bath it will be one of the short ones...or weigh 300 lbs!

I got a birthday present…

The blue jays have not discovered it yet

WOW, Marna!
I love that one! I've never seen one like that before?

Do you know where it was purchased?

Nancy

Probably Wild Birds Unlimited. They have bigger ones I know. http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=3160/567.0.25206.42045.0.0.0

Just Google "Peanut Wreath"

Yes, I have seen the Peanut Wreath at WBU. I would be afraid my blue jays would be little piggies and eat them all at once!
Nanny, I have not forgotten to look at my Dollar Store this spring for your 10 dollar bird bath- the one like mine!
PS This show us your feeders is one of my all time fav threads. GM

Oh....just be sure to dmail me if you find one okay!!!
Why do none of my stores have good cheap stuff??????

Meant to ask...does any one use one of those little globe feeder or a little window feeder? Am looking for something to accomodate the wren on the front porch. The come and look in the window at me and it is sooo cute!

This message was edited Dec 17, 2008 6:55 PM

OMGosh, you DO need a window feeder! Maybe you could just get one of those plant arms and put outside the window and hang a small feeder.

I loved finding this thread, because we had to replace a couple of old feeders (used for BOSS and Nyger) this year and are expanding our "offerings." We do have a resident squirrel (new this year), so that's something to work with/around.

I just placed an order at Rachel's Robin. I got an hourglass "No No" feeder that looked like it would work for BOSS... I liked the roomier center perching ring on this shape, thought it would be welcoming to cardinals and bluejays. I hope it works for us! (Grandmaggie, why don't you like yours? Hoping I didn't make an error here.)

The squirrel was helping himself to the BOSS in the cheap tube feeder I picked up at Lowe's... the perches are made to not support him, but he managed to reach over from the railing. I plan to twist this one to its small hole setting and use it for Nyger. A lot of whole sunflower seeds were dropping to the ground from this one until I twisted it just a little so the openings weren't so large, and that seems to be helping. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=235772-54220-102L-4&lpage=none

I also needed to replace my Nyger window feeder (I like the little one from Havahart, but it has a limited life in our very sunny window), so I decided to add another "channel" to kitty TV while I was at it. I ordered one of the larger covered tray feeders (the cardinal feeder from Duncraft, 12 inches long) and will probably mount it on the lower window with some one-way film in front of it. :-)

Havahart window feeder: http://www.rachelsrobin.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-4025

Duncraft Cardinal Classic window feeder: http://www.duncraft.com/Duncraft-Cardinal-Classic-Feeder--P113C216.aspx

Nanny, the Havahart feeder has plugs for thistle, so it can do other seeds as well... I'm trying to remember what I've seen my wrens eat... mostly they hop around the planters on the deck! It seems to me they go for the peanut butter, though.

Which reminds me, my other popular feeder is the PB feeder my dad made from the trunk of a Christmas tree. I wrote up a how-to article about it last winter, http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/467/

I have seen them eat peanuts and suet...I am going to put a suet feeder out tomorrow on the hook where I hang the the hummingbird feeder during the summer. Will see how that goes.

hey critter, those look like nice window feeders. I've been considering getting one for my niece in college!

I'm sorry to say that last year I wanted to get a no-no feeder, but the reviews on this forum were less than glowing, so I skipped it.

I'm starting to run out of room outside of my office window here. I think I need to invest in the pole system!

nanny....I use one of those spring loaded window feeders that sit against the window. The frame is wood with a hinged top for filling and the seed dispenses from slots on the sides. There is a platform area that the birds fly into to feed. It is supposed to be a one -way mirror but I think that the birds see through it as some startle if I walk past it and others will stop and stare if I put my face near the glass. Even the woodpeckers go in there sometimes! I have it upstairs outside of a bathroom window so it it totally animal proof. It is one of my favorite feeders and we don't remember where it came from....I think a local feed store. I have looked around for one to give as a gift with no success. My Mom has one of those cheap plastic feeders with the suction cups but she claims that it gets messy from rain and is a pain to fill as she has to take it off the glass to clean out and fill.

critter.....my DH made a peanut/suet feeder from an oak log this Fall and it is a real hit. He drilled out cupcake sized cavities and once it was discovered, has been the favorite with the woodpeckers. We mix melted beef fat from the supermarket and crunchy PB and it has become very popular. Heavy rain doesn't affect it as much as the baskets as the food is in the wood. The baskets are no longer getting the attention that they used to. I may ask him to just make another and take a couple of the baskets down.


I love this thread too....so much great info!!!

Wow, cupcake sized cavities for PB & suet! You've got some hungry woodpeckers.

I had a lot of trouble with grackles last year whenever I hung out the suet feeder (little cage one)... Would one of those cage-within-a-cage suet feeders deter them and allow little woodpeckers (we mostly get downy ones) to feed?

I saw one of those window feeders a month or so ago on clearance at a feed store. I kick myself for not getting it!!

The Havahart window feeder is about $10 at Rachel's Robin. And if there's other stuff you need, the $10 off a $60 order pays for much of the shipping.

Checkout this site they have some cool ones...couldn't use them here...or...maybe upstairs!!

http://www.thebirdshed.com/windowfeeders.html