Feeders
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Selecting a
Feeder
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| Birds are beautiful
and graceful and have been revered in art and
literature since time began. But they have no
such appreciation or sentimentality towards the
objects that help sustain their own lives. While
we may take great care in selecting the finest
decorated and most expensive bird feeders
available, the little guys only want a container
that offers a comfortable way to "sit at the
table", dispenses their favorite, fresh food,
and is located in a safe, sheltered (from the
worst weather and predators) spot in the
backyard |
| We'll soon be
offering many styles of homemade feeder
projects, from very simple, kid-friendly ideas
to more elaborate feeding stations. |
| For now, the feeders
we (birds and food folks) have known and loved,
or not, will be discussed. Most of the reasons
that some of our previous feeder choices are no
longer part of our backyard, is their lack of
durability or their inability to be cleaned
properly. We used to fall for a pretty style
until large birds or critters made sharp
pieces of cheap plastic or matchsticks of wood
and staples. Some of the credit is also due to
inclement weather working on shoddy materials
and construction. |
| Cleaning can be an
unpopular chore at best, but rusty metal, moldy
wood and breakable plastic are unacceptable. And
this is after vigorous struggling to open it.
All feeders can be opened - just not all of
them can be put back together and reused. |
| Of course, there are
some feeders that the year round residents in
our backyard are reluctant to use. If feeders
are difficult to perch on or made of apparently
loathsome material, only the temporary visitors
desperate to eat, will use them. Even humans
learn to give up on some ideas eventually. |
|
Desirable Bird Feeder
Characteristics:
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- Easy access for birds to land and feed
- Appropriate overall size and size of
openings for the seed and the birds
- Opens easily to fill with seed and comes
apart to clean
- Specific features available for type of
bird user
- Drainage to allow wet seed to dry and/or
Cover to keep out any water
- Made of durable material and parts
- No easy access for squirrels and
predators
- Catch trays for several layers of eating
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...more at
preferred foods
and
types of feeders |
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