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Bird-Watching: Making Sure You Get the Right Feeder

Posted on by Rita Shaw

No, it isn’t a glamorous pastime. Its hobby sexiness is virtually nil. But bird-watching certainly fills a void that no other activity can: it gets you back to nature, right in your own backyard. At the heart of this hobby is the bird-feeder.

Recently my wife and I dove (actually, it was more like a swoop) headlong into the bird-watching culture. We already owned a bird feeder, placed in an out-of-the-way corner of our yard. Unfortunately, out-of-the-way also meant out-of-sight.

body { font-family:arial,helvetica; font-size:12px; } table td { font-family:arial,helvetica; font-size:12px; } A:link{color: #000000} A:visited {color: #000000} .title_email { padding-top:10px; font-family:georgia,garamond,serif; font-size:20px; color:#0062a6; } p { padding:10px 0 10px 15px; } One day we decide we were going to do this thing right. To do that, we knew we would have to take drastic actions: it was time to spend money! And spend we did.

We purchased every bird feeder known to bird-kind. We bought “shepherd’s hooks” to hang them on, and placed them right smack in the middle of our backyard. Various bird foods and a pocket bird guide rounded out our spending spree. I don’t know how much we spent (I actually don’t really want to think about it), but it was more than we bargained for.

Had we known better, we would have done things a little differently. Not that every cent wasn’t worth it. It was. My wife and I have loved every minute of our time watching our feathered friends.

The problem was in the way we did it. We had no one to guide us when we picked out our feeders. So we ended up making a lot of mistakes. We did quite a bit of research. But there’s just no substitute for experience.

We hope to save you some of the grief we experienced (and a little money too). Here are three helpful hints that will make purchasing the right feeder a little less expensive and a little more enjoyable:

  1.  Make sure you research, research, research! First things first: make sure you know what kinds of birds you need to attract. There are several different kinds of feeders that attract different kinds of birds. (For more information, see number three below.)

Make sure you know what you need before you make that trip to the store. If you don’t know, ask someone who does, or find a good site on the web that deals with birds in your area. There are many out there. Just make sure you do your homework first. Then buy what you need.

  1.  You don’t have to break the bank buying a bird-feeder. If you end up spending your kids inheritance to make bird-watching work you’ve missed the point. It shouldn’t take a small fortune to enjoy birds in your backyard.

Birds aren’t gourmet diners, so don’t feel like you have to get the fanciest bird-feeders with all the latest gadgets. Frankly, the birds don’t give a hoot. They just want a place to fill their craw. If you set a bowl of bird food out, they’d be just as thrilled. They’re hungry. That’s the bottom line.

  1.  Make sure you fit the feeder to the birds you want to attract. Most perching birds (i.e. cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, etc) prefer a conventional feeder filled with what most people consider normal bird food. The majority of birds will be drawn to this type of feeder, making it a great investment.

You may attract finches to your conventional bird-feeder, but they prefer a special finch-feeder sock, filled with finch-attracting thistle seed. It’s worth paying the extra for a finch feeder, especially when you look out and see several goldfinches crowded around one of your finch socks.

If you have orioles you may be able to cut a few corners. We bought a beautiful (and fairly expensive) oriole feeder, hoping to attract these beautiful birds. It does its job, and we enjoy seeing them. But in all honesty, a feeder isn’t necessary, especially if you have short trees in your backyard.

Just simply cut an orange in slices, poking a hole in the middle of the orange’s “wagon wheel.” Slip it over the end of a low-hanging branch in an open enough area to view it. Then, wait! The orange color and the fruit’s sweetness will attract those beautiful birds. It does work, and it’s much cheaper than buying an expensive oriole feeder and constantly filling it with oriole food.

Overall, an oriole feeder is still a good investment. But you don’t have to do it that way if your budget doesn’t allow.

Suet block feeders draw woodpeckers, nuthatches and other tree-clinging birds. This is a must if you have these kinds of birds in your area.

However, there’s one caveat with this kind of bird-feeder. Don’t buy cheap! This was one of the most costly mistakes we made.

European starlings love suet block feeders. They’ll strip one in a matter of hours. (Yes, I said hours!) And those suet blocks aren’t cheap. We spent a tiny amount on our feeder to “save money.” We spent a fortune on food for it, until, that is, we got smart and did a little research.

European starlings are perching birds, not a tree-clinging variety. This makes it difficult for them to feed off of a suet feeder. They perch on top until they can’t reach the suet. Then the more athletic ones do their best to hang on to the side of the feeder and pick the rest clean.

What’s the best way to combat these annoying and costly birds? Purchase a “starling-proof” feeder. They’re a little more expensive, but they pay in the long run.

The kind of feeder we use has smooth metal plates on the top two sides of the feeder. That way the starlings can’t sit on top and peck away at the food. A few of the most determined may hang off the sides to get at a sumptuous meal, but most won’t want the bother and will leave the feeder alone after a while.

If you have hummingbirds, a feeder for them is a must. However, filling it with sugar water rather than the expensive red stuff they sell at the store may relieve your bird-watching budget. There are several recipes for this kind of food. The internet is full of them if you simply look.

If you follow these three simple rules, you’ll be more likely to get the feeder you want. Have fun, and enjoy your feathered friends!

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