A highly specific feeder, on the other hand, may leave out birds that you would never know about. Although a general bird feeder does a reasonably good job, it does feed birds that you may not want in your yard or that may scare off those you do want. Types of Bird Feedersīird-feeder designs range from the general, which attract a wide variety of birds, to the highly specific, which attract one or two types of birds. By learning how to pick the right feeder, where to place it, and what to feed them, you’ll be able to admire the birds of your choice year-round. The real reason for setting up a backyard feeder is to enjoy good bird watching. Regardless of the season, supplemental feeding has hardly any impact on birds at all. Both schools prove conclusively that even the most feeder-habituated birds forage for at least 80 percent of their diet. According to recent studies from University of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania State University, it’s a big myth. They figure the birds will starve if they go away on vacation or are bed-ridden with the flu for a week, particularly during the brutal wintertime. Decorative accents - pendant, charm, etc.Many people worry that the moment they put up a bird feeder, that’s it–their backyard birds will become completely dependent on them. 20 Gauge copper wire - Michaels Craft Store.8 Gauge copper wire - I purchase this by the foot at Home Depot.#6 32 x 1/2" bolts and nuts - I use brass and distress or remove the shiny coating with muriatic acid (pretty caustic stuff - be careful or just omit this step).Copper colored chain - Michaels Craft Store.Gorilla Epoxy - Available at hardware stores.If you want to try to drill the holes in the bottle without the drill press, here's a link that describes how to do that: DIY Wine Bottle Bird-Feeders Drill press - Pretty much required for drilling a lot of holes.Some ports have 2 holes that must be drilled in the bottle for the port to fit. Diamond drill bit(s) - Must be the diameter of the feeding ports you use.Or - you could buy a feeder with plastic ports and spray paint them any color you wanted. K-Mart usually has one for around $15.00 with copper colored metal feeding ports. I buy cheaper or discounted plastic bird feeders and use the metal ports from them. Feeding ports - I haven't found a source to buy these separately.Recycled wine bottle and cork - *Tip - use a Mr.This glass bottle feeder requires drilling 2 - 4 holes into a bottle - which would be very difficult to do without a drill press.Ī lot of folks have asked for the step-by-step instructions on making these feeders. Here's the DIY for that feeder: DIY Wine Bottle Bird-FeedersĪ few years back I upscaled my wine bottle bird feeder to include feeder ports that are incorporated into the bottle. Once you get the hang of drilling through glass, it's a fun feeder to make. The DIY wine bottle bird-feeder that I demonstrated involved drilling a couple of holes in a wine bottle. Here's my hand-out for my "bird" talk I give: Creating a Bird Garden Of course the best bird-feeder is what nature provides: nuts, seeds and fruit from native trees, shrubs and wildflowers (and native insects). A few years ago I held a class for the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of on making bird-feeders utilizing natural sources, recycled materials and re-purposed items.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |