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Fascinated by birds, but can’t eyeball ‘em when they’re chirping from the top of that towering Elm in the back yard?
Purchasing and placing a bird feeder outside a window and at eye-level is a great way to give the fowl a summer snack as well as fueling your own curiosity when it comes to these magnificent creatures.
As always, the ideal feeder is one sturdy enough to withstand those brutal winter months, and well as air tight enough to keep seeds dry. It’s also a good idea to place the feeder in a rather quiet place, in order to attract all different types of local birds. For that to happen, put them near trees or shrubs. This helps provide cover for them.
Unfortunately, a large concentration of birds brings out a large collection of predators, be it Percy the outdoor cat or a nearby squirrel. Either way, both pose as dangers for the birds.
To avoid both, today’s bird feeders are a lot more than empty plastic of metal shells filled with pounds of seeds and kernels. Many are technological wonders in themselves, and able to protect birds from their natural predators.
Some feeders will emit a cry that attracts birds to the feeders.
Another is made to where anything weighing more than a bird (a squirrel, for example, or even an enterprising Percy) will automatically tip. This flings the animal to the ground.
Most feeders have clear shields above the feeders, which will force a squirrel to slither right off if he lands atop the feeder from a nearby tree branch. Others are caged, with spaces wide enough to allow a bird to slip through to feed. Predators can only cling to this cage and howl from frustration.
Still others are much more innovative.
When a squirrel grabs onto a feeder, an internal sensor will actually spin the feeder when a certain weight is detected. So the longer the squirrel tries to hold on, the faster the feeder spins. When the squirrel lets go, the feeder slowly spins to a stop. Several small- to medium-sized birds can feed at the same time without triggering it.
Heck, one feeder model even emits a tiny electrical shock to clinging predators — not enough to hurt it, but enough to make it go away.
So in a way, these new feeders are almost as fun to watch as the birds — that northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, House Finch or Black-capped Chickadee — you’re hoping to attract in the first place.
Fascinated by birds, but can’t eyeball ‘em when they’re chirping from the top of that towering Elm in the back yard?
Purchasing and placing a bird feeder outside a window and at eye-level is a great way to give the fowl a summer snack as well as fueling your own curiosity when it comes to these magnificent creatures.
As always, the ideal feeder is one sturdy enough to withstand those brutal winter months, and well as air tight enough to keep seeds dry. It’s also a good idea to place the feeder in a rather quiet place, in order to attract all different types of local birds. For that to happen, put them near trees or shrubs. This helps provide cover for them.
Unfortunately, a large concentration of birds brings out a large collection of predators, be it Percy the outdoor cat or a nearby squirrel. Either way, both pose as dangers for the birds.
To avoid both, today’s bird feeders are a lot more than empty plastic of metal shells filled with pounds of seeds and kernels. Many are technological wonders in themselves, and able to protect birds from their natural predators.
Some feeders will emit a cry that attracts birds to the feeders.
Another is made to where anything weighing more than a bird (a squirrel, for example, or even an enterprising Percy) will automatically tip. This flings the animal to the ground.
Most feeders have clear shields above the feeders, which will force a squirrel to slither right off if he lands atop the feeder from a nearby tree branch. Others are caged, with spaces wide enough to allow a bird to slip through to feed. Predators can only cling to this cage and howl from frustration.
Still others are much more innovative.
When a squirrel grabs onto a feeder, an internal sensor will actually spin the feeder when a certain weight is detected. So the longer the squirrel tries to hold on, the faster the feeder spins. When the squirrel lets go, the feeder slowly spins to a stop. Several small- to medium-sized birds can feed at the same time without triggering it.
Heck, one feeder model even emits a tiny electrical shock to clinging predators — not enough to hurt it, but enough to make it go away.
So in a way, these new feeders are almost as fun to watch as the birds — that northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, House Finch or Black-capped Chickadee — you’re hoping to attract in the first place.
