The Benefits of Bird Feeders and Birdhouses

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Bird watching is enjoyed by people of all ages. One of the best things about having birdwatching as a hobby is that you can do it anywhere - including in your own backyard (or front yard!) Bird feeders and bird houses allow you to attract even more feathered friends to enjoy observing.

Go ahead and start planning for your houses and feeders now - even if it's winter time. It's possible you'll provide some food and shelter for birds that didn't fly south for the winter. Even if there are very few birds in your area now, you'll have your supplies on hand to attract birds to your yard as soon as they begin to migrate north again.

You can expect to see many different birds enjoying your houses. Some types to watch for are house finches, sparrows, starlings, bluebirds, wrens, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, purple martins, tree swallows, flycatchers, northern flickers, woodpeckers, owls, American kestrels, mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneyes, and if your bird house is big enough - wood ducks!

Here are some ideas to attract specific types:

A tube feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed will attract finches, sparrows, cardinals, jays, pine siskins, nuthatches, chickadees, titmouses, redpolls, and woodpeckers. Make sure there's a tray on your feeder so the birds can have easy access.

A thistle feeder filled with thistle seed will attract finches.

Tube feeders with peanuts attract many types of birds including jays, doves, cardinals, starlings, sparrows, chickadees, juncos, titmouses, grackles, and finches.

A hummingbird feeder filled with hummingbird nectar will bring the fast, flighty hummingbird to your yard!

Most birds prefer to find a tree or a birdhouse where they won't be bothered by other birds. There are some species that prefer the company of other birds. Check with your guide or with your local extension office to find out what kind of houses suit which birds best.

You may find that birds are picky about their houses. Some birds will hover for days before they decide a house is a good choice for them. If you have several types of bird houses, or even bird houses in several locations, it can help your bird friends settle sooner. Variety is key.

Sturdy wooden birdhouses are often best, though you can help create a birdhouse by clearing dead wood out of a stump or knot in a tree. Simple plans for bird houses can easily be found online, or your extension agent may offer plans suited to birds in your area.

Research to see what kind of nest materials the birds in your area like. You can place a few scraps into or nearby the bird houses so the birds will have nest materials directly available. Birds like things such as wool roving, string, ribbon, and hair.

Try and find a design for your bird houses and bird feeders that is at least somewhat squirrel deterrent. Otherwise, you'll find that the squirrels enjoy your 24 hour buffet more than the birds do!

Put up some bird feeders and some bird houses and you'll find that you quickly gain feathered friends. Sit back and enjoy watching your own little corner of nature flourish.

Birdhouses And Bird Feeders

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Building Birdhouses and Bird Feeders to Attract Birds

If you can provide birds with a safe and secure shelter, variety of food and treats, and clean water, you are sure to attract the most beautiful and unusual birds to your yard.

Birdhouses

Birdhouses are basically made in many sizes and with a variety of different wood materials. The birds enjoy a safe haven subject to the outside temperatures and predators and it allows them to nest. Birds always need somewhere to nest, so why not build a variety of wooden birdhouses in different sizes for the birds in your area. A basic wooden birdhouse can be very easy to build, and can also be a fun weekend project.

Here are a some important things for you to consider when building your own wooden birdhouse:

Do research the environment and the different variety of birds commonly known to migrate in your region.

Do understand the needs of your feeder birds, such as the size of birdhouse, and location of birdhouse.

Don't paint, stain, varnish, or treat the inside or around the hole entrance of the birdhouse, this will keep away the birds. There are many different woods that you can use to make your birdhouse, but most commonly used is Cedar. Cedar wood is a good material which does not need to be pained, stained, or treated.

Avoid using a perch on the birdhouse. By putting a perch on the birdhouse, the bird may become trapped inside the birdhouse because of fear. A perch will allow a predator bird to wait on the perch until the smaller birds comes out.

Drill the proper entrance hole, for the bird you are trying to attract. Again, the importance of size. You will need to research the birds in your area and which ones you would like to invite to your backyard.

Location

The importance of a great location to properly install your birdhouse is a big part of your awaited new guests. Once you are done building your birdhouse, you will need to find a good location, that is away from any danger, such as cats, and weather. A good location would be somewhere in your property that doesn't have to much human activity, but will allow you to view the birds without interference. The birdhouse can be hung on a tree, or mounted to a pole or tree limb, and should be at least 3 to 10 feet high.

Bird feeder

Adding bird feeders to your property is another great way to attract birds. As stated above, you must research the different variety of birds commonly known to migrate in your region, that will give you some insight as to what kind of birdfeed and treats to fill your birdfeeders. Once birds discover your newly built bird feeder and the great treats you are providing them, you can expect to start seeing the birds flock into your backyard.

Building a basic wooden bird feeder is not difficult at all, you can get many ideas by searching for bird feeder plans on the internet, or visiting a bookstore or library.

Water

Birds are also attracted by water. Birds need a water area for drinking and for bathing. This to is a project that you can make on your own, or if you do not have time buy at a store. It is suggested that you research different bird bath plans and see if this is a project you would like to do. You can also use any shallow container to hold water. You can place them on the ground or above the ground, near the feeders would be a good location. If you do have cats in the area it would be suggested that you make it closer and accessible to the birds so that they do not become victim to such animals.

How to Find the Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder

Looking for a Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder. You and a lot of other people. Not only do they work they are hilariously entertaining!

Why is the Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder so popular?

Imagine sitting at your window watching the birds feeding out of your feeder when all of a sudden they scatter and a squirrel jumps onto the perch ring. Not a minute goes by and the perch ring on the feeder begins spinning taking the squirrel for a whirl until he loses his grip and is thrown off. Now this is done gently so he is not hurt, but how can you not laugh at flying squirrels?

Now imagine how much bird food you are saving and how happy all of your bird guests are going to be when they can quickly come back to indulge themselves again. And the neat thing is the squirrels will probably resort to eating the seed that has fallen to the ground resulting in less bird food waste.

So now you don't have to worry about getting out your wallet and buying another bird feeder for a while because the this one works, is durable and lasts for years.

Here are three characteristics that are consistently coming up in people's reviews:

1. The Yankee Flipper deters even the most determined squirrels after a while.
2. We aren't using up seed intended for the birds as fast as before.
3. Very entertaining to watch the feeder in action.

So how do you find a Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder?

There are several stores that sell this feeder online. Some of them have competitive pricing and some offer discounts. A few offer free shipping, and if you need to return the feeder - the return shipping is free as well.

In order to find these stores among the large number of sites that sell the Yankee Flipper Bird Feeder, you need to know how to pick the one that will give you the best deal. Your best bet is to find somebody who knows all about finding great deals and savings and see what they recommend.

Creating a Homemade Birdfeeder

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Making a homemade bird feeder can be thrilling for the old and young alike, as there are so many different types of materials that are useful for fashioning a homemade bird feeder. Our family has enjoyed the art of creating homemade bird feeders as not only is it a creative activity for the children but also a chance for them to get an up closer look at the wild birds that make their homes in the outdoors. To be quite honest for me, the enjoyment that shows on the faces of children is just as thrilling as being able to feed the birds and watch them closely through our windows.

Making your own homemade bird feeders are both economically and environmentally rewarding as well. Sure, it is nice to have store bought bird feeders, however, there is something much more personally rewarding in the use of many household items that we use everyday, such as egg cartons and old toilet paper and paper towel rolls or even the use of empty plastic drink bottles and coffee cans. Anyone can use his or her creativity to fashion a homemade bird feeder. Children seem to be especially enchanted by making their own bird feeder.

If you take a look around your house, you will be able to find several things that can be use for feeding the birds outside. For instance, you can take a bagel and cover it in honey then roll it in birdseed, then tie a string through the hole of the bagel and hang it from a lower limb of a tree. Or you can use an empty egg carton and take the top lid completely off, then poke holes in all four corners so you can tie string through them for hanging, then simply fill the egg pockets with birdseed and hang outside. However, you can also use stale bread, by using cookie cutters to cut out images, then poke a hole through the bread, insert and tie a string through the hole and hang them from the tree limbs. On the other hand, maybe you have an empty paper towel of toilet paper roll that you would like to use. Simply insert a long piece of string through the paper roll, making sure that there is enough string to go all the way through and enough to hang. Then simply lay out some wax paper to catch any mess and smear honey on the paper roll then sprinkle your birdseed onto it. Remember that small birdseed will more than likely stay on this type of homemade bird feeder and that larger seeds are more apt to fall onto the ground. Always keep in mind that honey is fatal to hummingbirds so do not use it when feeding these birds, also corn meal or lard should be added to peanut butter to keep the birds from choking on it.

Some ideas for bird feed are:

1. Unsalted and unbuttered popcorn

2. Raisins

3. Blueberries and other fruits

4. Sunflower seed

5. Shelled plain peanuts

6. Cracked corn

7. Mealworms

8. Pine cones with honey and seeds

Many people have found these as well as many other types of in home items to use while fashioning their own homemade bird feeders, as they have found great joy in making something themselves while also doing a good deed for the birds they feed.

Solar Bird Feeder - What is a Solar Powered Bird Feeder?

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With the ever increasing popularity of backyard bird watching, we have started to seed the incorporation of more and more technology into backyard birding. But one idea that seems odd on the surface is the concept of a solar powered bird feeder. What is there to power on a bird feeder?

There have been solar powered bird baths for several years, and that idea makes sense, because they often incorporate a working fountain, as the moving water and the sound make the bird bath that much more attractive to the birds. By making the unit solar powered, the installation is significantly eased, as there is no need to have an electrician bring power to the unit, it creates its own with the solar panels. And many of the more modern units will have solar panels that detach from the bird bath itself, so you can install the bath in the shade if you want but the panels can still get full sun so they will do a good job of powering the fountain.

Solar Powered Bird Feeder

These units actually combine another function in with that of the feeder. by day, these just function as normal bird feeders. But at night they transform into landscape lighting, powered by rechargeable cells that were charged during the day. This can work unusually well because the feeder will typically be mounted at eye level or above, casting the light further than the typical garden lighting that is mounted less than a foot above the ground.

When looking for one of these solar powered units, keep in mind that rechargeable batteries don't last forever, so if you can find one that has replaceable batteries so you can extend the life of the feeder.

Mount it in an area where the solar cells get direct sunlight for several hours each day, and keep an eye on the solar cells to make sure that they don't get covered with dirt or droppings, as that will reduce the charge generated by the solar cells. You may want to mount these on a bird feeder pole with a squirrel baffle to keep it away from the critters, as they don't typically have a cage or some other type of pest control.